Jacob Koczman

June 30, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders, as part of an eight day effort, will seek to post some national class performances at 800 meters as they pass through New England and a three meet race series, the Boston High Performance Series, and the renowned New Balance Maine Distance Festival.

The Invaders hit the Boston High Performance meet series on Saturday June 28th, 2003, with Jacob Koczman taking second in the elite section of the 800 with a career best of 1:49.07 to Ireland's Indoor National Record Holder Daniel Caulfield's time of 1:48.86. Teammates Daniel Walden and Eddie Nehus went 1-2 in the second section of the 800 with both hitting season bests of 1:52.70 and 1:52.81, respectively.

Hope Sanders will join Koczman, and Nehus in the 800 on July 1st, 2003 at the Boston High Performance #6 competition at Bentley College in Waltham, MA while Walden will compete over 1500 meters. Sanders, competing at her highest level of fitness since 2000, will seek to lower her career best of 2:04.32.

The squad will then hit the track, against an international caliber field, at the New Balance Maine Distance Festival on Saturday July 5th, in Brunswick, Maine. The Distance Festival features international fields with world ranked competitors from a number of countries including Canada, Ethiopia, Ireland, Kazakstan, Kenya, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "The game plan going into this three meet pass through New England is to make the most of the opportunities presented by the best domestic competition in the country for middle distance athletes after USA Nationals. These athletes are capable of posting marks in the coming weeks and months that will qualify them for the Olympic Trials next year and this type of high level competition is vital to their preparation. The men did the job on the 28th with everyone turning in career or season best on a tight travel schedule. We'll be gunning for further improvements on Tuesday and Saturday." Harger added, "We're in a great position with these 800 meter athletes going into Club Championships on July 19th to potentially sweep the top spots in the 800, 4x800, and distance medley relays. I expect that this series will allow us to be very strong on the 19th in the middle distance events."

Boston High Performance Series
http://www.bostonhighperformance.com/

New Balance Maine Distance Festival
http://www.mainedistance.org/

The New Balance Maine Distance Festival will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net on Wednesday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday, July 22 at 11:00 a.m.

USATF National Track & Field Club Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USATFClubTFChampionships/

For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg Harger at 317 289-4018 or online at: (email)