February 18, 2006
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders are headed to the 2006 AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston, Massachusetts on February 24-26, 2006. The Invaders will have athletes competing in the greatest number of events of any club in the United States.

The Invaders have 11 athletes competing in a total of seven individual events and one relay. In the 800, the Invaders are led by Jacob Koczman, a 2004 Olympic Trials finalist in the 800, and Ricardo Bell, who has posted the fastest 600 meters by an American in 2006. Koczman has already met the World Indoor Championship qualifying standard for 800 meters.

In the 1500, the Invaders are represented by Hunter Spencer who is entered with the 11th best mark while in the 3000, Erin Nehus, a nine-time NAIA All-American, is ranked eighth going into the championship.

Amber Plowden, an eight-time D-II All-American, will compete in the 60 meters. Newcomers to the Invaders roster, Lewis Edmonson & Garland Porter, a graduate of Indianapolis’ Ben Davis high school, will compete in the 60 meter hurdles and weight throw respectively.

Additionally, Invaders' Adam Shunk, a graduate student at Ball State University will be representing NIKE as he competes in the high jump. Shunk is ranked fourth going into the championship and has achieved the World Indoor qualifying standard.

Finally, the Invaders' men will compete in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR). The eligible roster for the Invaders is comprised of Koczman, Bell, Spencer, Robert Thomas, Robert Duncan and Christopher Hendrix-Buxton. In what may prove to be a developing middle distance rivalry, the Farm Team, will give the Invaders a challenge in the DMR. The two teams represent 35% of all athletes competing in the men's 800 and 1500.

This is the eighth 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 individual Indoor National Title, had four runner-up finishes, placed 13 athletes in the top five, and had 39 finishes in the top 10.

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Indoor        '06  '05  '04  '03  '02  '01  '00  '99  Total(s)
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Qualified:      8    8   12   12   4   12    7    5   68
    Top 10:          3    5    6   4   10    7    5   39*
     Top 5:          1    1    1   2    4    2    2   13*
       2nd:          -    1    -   -    -    2    1    4*
       1st:          -    -    -   -    1    -    -    1*
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*pending '06 results (totals exclude athletes in relays)