Brandon Hon

April 18 2004
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders' Zack Riley and Brandon Hon put up Olympic Trials Qualifying improvements and career bests in the hammer throw and 110 high hurdles, 69.75 meters and 13.72 respectively. Riley and Hon are two of 11 Invaders that have meet the Olympic Trials Qualifying standards in their respective events early in the Olympic season.

Riley, a graduate of Ball State University, moved into the US Top 10 list with his performance of 69.75 meters, at Indiana State University's Pacesetter Invitational on April 16th. Riley competed again on the 17th at Butler University's Indy Relays and won the hammer with a throw over 68 meters. Riley was seventh at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw.

Hon, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, moved into the US Top 15 list with his winning efforts in the 110 high hurdles at Butler's Indy Relays. Hon also won the 400 hurdles with a time of 51.42. During the indoor season, Hon finished 11th at the 2004 USATF Indoor National Championships in the 60 hurdles.

Led by Hon & Riley, the Invaders' won 10 events at Butler University's Indy Relays on a weekend that for all practical purposes was the opening weekend for many of the Invaders athletes in this Olympic season.

Other notables from the Invaders roster competing in the Indy Relays included Olympian Kirt Thompson, throwing a modest 69.04 meters to win the javelin while adjusting to very difficult cross winds. 2000 Olympic Trials Decathlate, Brendon Falconer, winning the long jump (7.43), finishing second in the 110 high hurdles (14.42) and the shot put (14.69). Jacob Koczman, an Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 800, took third in the 400 with a time of 48.33 as he made a warm-up appearance before his 800 season debut set for the Drake Relays next weekend.

The Invaders dominated the 100, 200, 400, and 800 on the women's side with wins in each event. Amber Plowden won the 100 (11.79), Sharline Maxwell-Divis scored a double win in the 200 and 400 (24.36 & 54.02), and Natasha Lothery won the 800 (2:13.04). Ebbie Metzinger, a graduate of Purdue University, won the pole vault with a clearance of 4.15.

The Invaders' Jamey Sperle competed at the Kansas Relays. Sperle was third in the 400 (47.57) and sixth in the 200 (21.40).

Donnie Fellows, a graduate of Purdue University, finished 4th in a section of the Mt Sac Relays University/Open 5,000 meter race in a time of 14:10.50 with his season opening race. Fellows is a 2004 US Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 10,000.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "This was a good early outing for us as we head toward the Olympic Trials in July. It's exciting to see the progress that Riley and Hon are making in their events. They have the passion and enthusiasm necessary to compete at a very high level in their events." Harger added, "We'll be at the Drake Relays this coming weekend and look forward to getting a few more athletes ramped up to national level efforts with all the tremendous energy we always find in Des Moines at the end of April each year."

2004 Butler University Indy Relays (Results)
http://butlersports.collegesports.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/indyrelays04results.html

The Indiana Invaders will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the historic 95th edition of the Drake Relays next weekend (April 22-24).