Patricia Soman

November 25, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders have added long jumper Patricia Soman, of Ball State University and Bishop O'Connell HS (VA), to the team's roster. Soman's career best of 6.38 meters, set at the 2003 Drake Relays, is the National Record for her country of origin, the Ivory Coast.

Soman, a two-time NCAA All-American, was eighth in both the long jump and triple jump at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships and also finished ninth at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump. Soman holds six school records at Ball State University (4x200, 4x400i, 4x400, SMR, long jump, and triple jump).

Soman joins a team roster that includes Ball State graduates Zach Riley, Linise Gordon, and Natasha Lothery. Together this group along with Adam Shunk, a Ball State transfer to the University of North Carolina, collectively hold 11 indoor school records and seven outdoor school records.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "Soman is a very exciting prospect in that she is so young in terms of total training years for her event. She will look for some big jumps during the outdoor season as we head toward Athens. She will likely open up her 2004 season outdoors in April." Added Harger, "Soman will look toward improvement on her Ivory Coast national record as she looks to meet the Olympic Games qualifying standard of 6.55."

The Invaders have a team history that includes seven individual National Champions, one World Champion, one American Record, and have had two American Record Holders or former record holders wear the Invaders' uniform since the formation of the club in 1998.