Adam Shunk
Carri Long
Francesca Green
Shannon Gallagher
Brandon Hon
Ebbie Metzinger
Hope Sanders
Jamey Sperle
Jacob Koczman
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NINE INVADERS TO COMPETE AT USA INDOOR NATIONALS
February 26, 2004
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders have twelve athletes qualified
for the 2004 USA Track & Field Indoor National Championships. The
competition runs from February 27th through February 29th at the
Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston, MA.
This is the sixth competitive indoor season for the Invaders since
the initial formation of their athlete roster in the fall of 1998.
Since 1999 in addition to one World Indoor Champion, the Invaders
have won one indoor title, had three runner-up finishes, placed 11
in the top five, and had 32 finish in the top 10.
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'04 '03 '02 '01 '00 '99 Total(s)
===================================================
Qualified: 12 12 4 12 7 5 52
Top 10: 6 4 10 7 5 32*
Top 5: 1 2 4 2 2 11*
2nd: - - - 2 1 3*
1st: - - 1 - - 1*
===================================================
*pending '04 results
Nine Invaders will compete this weekend. Adam Shunk, already a
2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier, will lead the charge as he returns
for his second USA Indoor nationals appearance as the fourth (tied)
ranked competitor in the high jump. Shunk is a graduate from
Delta High School (Ind.). Shunk was the NCAA Indoor High Jump
Champion in 2003 and runner-up in 2002.
Carri Long, also a 2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier, returns for her
third appearance as the fifth (tied) ranked competitor in the high jump.
Long is a graduate of Purdue University and Northview High School
(Ind.) and is a Two-Time Indiana State High Jump Champion. Long has
been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the US since 2000.
In addition to competing on the US National Team at the 2001 World
University Games, Long was a finalist at the 2000 Olympic Trials.
Francesca Green, a Two-Time NCAA All American, in her first USA Indoor
Nationals appearance is ranked 6th in the long jump. Green was fourth
at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and competed on the US National Team
at the World Junior Championships in 1996. Green is also a Two-Time
Washington State High School Champion in the 100.
USATF Nationals veteran, Shannon Gallagher, will compete as the eighth
(tied) ranked athlete in the pole vault fresh off of her Olympic Trials
qualifying vault on February 22nd. Gallagher, a 10-time USATF
Championships Qualifier, placed 10th at the 2000 Olympic Trials in
the pole vault.
Brandon Hon, a 2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 110 hurdles,
will compete in the 60 meter hurdles as the 9th (tied) ranked athlete
in the field. Hon finished 13th in the 2003 edition of USA Indoor
Nationals. Hon, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, was the
2001 Conference USA champion in the 400 hurdles.
Ebbie Metzinger, a graduate of Purdue University and Benton Central
High School (Ind.), returns for her second USA Indoor Nationals
appearance in the pole vault ranked 11th in her event.
Hope Sanders, a 2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 800, returns
for her fourth appearance at USATF Indoor nationals in the 800 as the
12th ranked competitor. Sanders, a graduate of the University of
Illinois and Warren Central HS (Ind.), finished eighth in 2003, sixth
in 2000 and seventh in 1999 at the Indoor Championships in addition
to competing at the 2000 Olympic Trials.
Jamey Sperle, a Dakota Wesleyan graduate will make his second
appearance at USA Indoor Nationals where he finished 12th in 2003.
The Seven Time NAIA All-American finished 2nd in the 2003 NAIA
Outdoor Championships at 200 meters.
Jacob Koczman, a 2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 800, ranked
17th in the 800 will race in his second USATF Indoor Championship.
Koczman is a two-time NAIA Champion (400 outdoors & 600 indoors).
Also qualified but not competing due to plans specific for this
summer's Olympic Trials are Greg Yeldell, a 2004 US Olympic Trials
Qualifier in the triple jump; Zack Riley, a 2004 US Olympic Trials
Qualifier in the hammer throw; and decathlete Alex Sprague
(Heptathlon).
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Satisfaction for this group will not be graded until
after we finish the weekend's competition." Harger added, "In most
cases, we are headed to nationals with the intent of competing for
the privilege to represent USA Track & Field's national teams. That
opportunity is a long and challenging path and this championship is
a step in that process for these individuals. We have a proud history
of playing a role in the advancement of talented athletes to the
highest level of competition in our sport. We welcome the opportunity
to continue growing our list of national team qualifiers."
The USA Indoor Track & Field Championships are the world's oldest
indoor track championships, with the first meet being held in 1888
in New York. The top two finishers in each event being selected
for the contingent of Team USA that will compete at the 2004 IAAF
World Indoor Championships in Athletics March 5-7 in Budapest, Hungary.
2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAIndoorTFChampionships/
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