INDIANA INVADERS IMPACT CLUB CROSS COUNTRY NATIONALS

(INDIANAPOLIS)-- The Indiana Invaders, in its first national cross country team competition, finished second in the women's race and eighth in the men's race and the Invaders' Collette Liss (Valparaiso, Ind.) captured the women's overall title at the 1999 Fall USA National Cross Country Championships on Sunday at El Dorado Park in Long Beach, Calif.

Liss, a '99 graduate of Valparaiso University, covered the 6,000 meter course in a winning time of 20:27. Runner-up Kim Fitchen, of the NIKE Farm Team, finished in 20:34.

The Indiana women's team had five runners combine for 80 points behind the NIKE Farm Team's dominating 21 points. The host FILA Track West team was third in the 15 team field with 87 points.

Following Liss's first place finish, the Invaders' were well represented by Kelly French (16th place), Stephanie Dueringer (17th), Lorilynn Hoffman (19), and Judy Porter (27).

The Invaders' men finished eighth in a field of 17 teams (192 points). The winning team was the Palo Alto, CA based NIKE Farm Team with a winning score of 28 points. The national runners-up, the Reebok Aggies, finished with 97 points. Leading the Invaders was Gareth Wilford (22nd) in 31:09. Wilford was followed by Kevin Collins (29th), Matt Sparks (33rd), Todd Moroney (37th), and Jim Sellers (71st).

Ray Appenheimer of the NIKE Farm Team was the men's individual national champion over the 10,000 meter course in a winnning time of 29:22. The individual runner-up, also from the NIKE Farm Team was Greg Jimmerson in 29:40.

"As a club we couldn't be happier with our first true team competition," said Coach Buhler. He added, "With our first appearance placing both the men's and women's squads in the top ten and having an individual champion, our total attention has shifted to the challenging task of growing a team capable of winning this championship in the coming years."

The Invaders, a not-for-profit organization, present an innovative approach to track and field by providing a resident-based, athlete-centered support system. Athletes have access to world-class training facilities, affordable housing, and a convenient means of travel to competitions.

INVADING THE TRACK
CLUB MAY BRING MAJOR EVENTS TO IUPUI FACILITY

By Anthony Schoettle
IBJ Reporter

A pact between Indiana University and a locally based track club for Olympic hopefuls is expected to bring new life to IUPUI's track and field and soccer facility and to attract more world-class sporting events to Indianapolis.

Greg Harger, president of the Indiana Invaders, confirmed his club has moved its offices to the track and field stadium at IUPUI and is helping manage daily activities and special events there.

The agreement is the latest in a series of events that might make the city a home for the world's best track and field athletes. The club has begun planning for international meets and is lining up corporate sponsorships to attract top athletes.

Harger hopes to use an innovative format and scoring system to attract thousands of fans and a television audience for at least four world-class track and field events annually at the track and field stadium, which has hosted Olympic trials and the Pan Am Games. Harger is confident capacity crowds can be drawn to the 12,111-seat facility in three to five years.

In addition, the Invaders will help manage the stadium's soccer field.

Julie McKenney, director of the Indiana University Natatorium and Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium at IUPUI, is confident the Invaders can help attract track and field, soccer, lacrosse and other events to the stadium on West New York Street.

"We're hoping to bring many, many more events into the stadium, and we feel like they can support that," McKenney said. "We're looking to create a multi-use facility."

A formal deal between IUPUI and the Invaders is still being worked out, McKenney said. Harger said Invaders officials are only looking for a small compensation package plus use of the facilities to train club members and host events. Harger and Chris Buhler, the Invaders head coach, have worked as volunteers, consultants and officials at events at the IUPUI facility since the early 1980s.

Recent renovations to the track and soccer stadium in 1997 and 1998 have primed the facility to host a variety of big-time events, university officials said.

The Invaders' expertise and grass-roots approach to the sport drew IUPUI's attention, McKenney said. She hopes the Invaders will use that approach to help host youth track and field, soccer and other camps and events at the IUPUI facilities.

Harger said a cornerstone of the Invaders plan is to build a fan base and community support for the organization through youth camps and leagues. He said plans to launch a youth track and field league are already in the works for 2000. Invaders coaches and athletes will be instrumental in conducting the camps and leagues, Harger said.

"We want to have a bigger picture in mind with regards to track and field and soccer," said David Morton, Invaders director of marketing.

Harger, a 40-year-old former track and cross country runner for Central Michigan University, said his motivation for starting the Invaders in March 1998 was simple.

Along with a group of founders with local ties, Harger wanted to give college graduates time to train and develop for the Olympics.

He chose Indianapolis for its central location and superior facilities, including the "magic carpet" at the IUPUI track.

Craig Masback, USA Track & Field executive director, said clubs such as the Invaders are critical to give Olympic athletes, who have an average age of 28, time to mature after college. He said the Invaders' presence and the IUPUI track, considered one of the three best tracks in the country, give Indianapolis the ingredients to become a track and field mecca.

"The Invaders are already having one of their chief impacts--giving outstanding athletes a chance to pursue their Olympic dream," Masback said.

Harger said the Invaders already have 40 members, and plan to add 60 more.

"It is a net positive for the city to bring such outstanding individuals to town where they can make contributions of varying sorts to the community," Masback said. "Once the invitational meets come on line, Indianapolis will benefit from media attention and the economic impact brought by a major sporting event."

Harger expects to have several Invaders make the 2000 Olympic track and field team, including DeDee Nathan, the 1999 world indoor pentathlon champion. But he expects the Invaders to make up 30 percent of the Olympic track and field team by 2004.

Harger said most of the Invaders work part time or full time to support themselves. But Invaders officials are launching a marketing campaign seeking $3,000 sponsorships for each club member. Invaders' officials help members with structured training, obtaining equipment through sponsors, travel assistance to meets, and job placement and housing.

Morton said the initial response from Indianapolis' corporate community has been positive.

"We'll be trying to tell our story and aggressively marketing our athletes because that's the best part of our story," he said.

Milton Thompson, president of Indianapolis-based Grand Slam Cos., a sports marketing firm representing the Invaders, said there is huge potential for event and club sponsorship.

Thompson said the Invaders will use their development program to attract marketable Olympic athletes, which will give a boost to club meets, which will become another avenue for sponsorships.

A date could be set for the Invaders' first major event and a sponsor named in the next couple of weeks, he said, adding, "We think the potential is enormous."

Also at the center of the Invaders' strategy to make track and field meets more spectator-friendly is a plan to number athletes in each event according to a seeding system, and not to run events concurrently so each can be spotlighted.

"We plan on bringing some radically different ways of presenting a track meet," Harger said.

Added Thompson: "This experiment is being watched very carefully by a lot of people around the country."

"Reprinted with permission, Indianapolis Business Journal, IBJ Corp., copyright 1999."

PRICE-SMITH TO REPRESENT USA AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nine Indiana Invaders competed in the 1999 U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships that took place June 24-27 at the Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene.

The meet served as a qualifier for the 1999 IAAF World Championships with Connie Price-Smith (shot put) to represent the United States at the world championship meet. Price-Smith won the shot put in dramatic fashion on her final throw with a mark of 18.86m.

Other Invaders that competed in the meet and their finishing performances were: Sean Robbins (5th in long jump), Brendon Falconer (12th decathlon), Shannon Gallagher (12th in pole vault), Le'gretta Smith (6th in 400 meter hurdles heat), and Jamie Strieter (11th in javelin).

Tye Harvey (pole vault) and Steven Parker (high jump) competed but no-heighted in their events while Stephanie Dueringer qualified to compete in the 10,000 meters but was unable to compete due to injury.

INDIANA INVADERS SIGN MARKETING AGREEMENT WITH GRAND SLAM III

(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Invaders have signed an exclusive marketing agreement with Grand Slam III, an Indianapolis-based sports and entertainment marketing and management company.

Directed by attorney and sports management executive Milton O. Thompson, Grand Slam will focus its efforts toward sponsorship sales, fundraising and consulting services for the club development. Sponsorship packages are available for the Invaders and Invaders-hosted events.

The Invaders recently announced the securing of Nike, the world's premier sports footwear and apparel manufacturer, as a club sponsor.

"Adding an experienced and resourceful marketing partner like Grand Slam to our club is a major achievement," said Invaders President Greg Harger. He added. "Having recently completed our first year of operation, the Invaders emphasize the establishment of relationships with corporate partners in Indiana."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"We have been in communication with the Invaders for more than a year and recognized from our first meeting the marketability of the club concept and the Invaders' event programming," said Thompson. He added, "We look forward to helping build the Invaders as a productive member of Indianapolis professional sports community."

The Invaders, a not-for-profit organization, present an innovative approach to track and field by providing a resident-based, athlete-centered support system. Included in this support is an employment network to help athletes secure jobs that complement their training and competition schedules. Athletes also have access to world-class training facilities, affordable housing, and a convenient means of travel to competitions.

NATHAN INVADES WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Invaders have collected their first gold medal and an American Record.

The women's indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon had been dominated for the last decade by Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her retirement from track & field last year opened the door for Nathan to claim the title. She not only claimed the title she established a new American Record in the process, smashing the U.S. record of 4,632 points set by Kym Carter in 1995.

Irina Belova, of Russia, was second with 4,691 points and Urszula Wlodarczyk, of Poland, was third with 4,696 points.

Nathan completed the first two events with personal best performances. Her time of 8.26 seconds in the 60 meter hurdles and jump of 1.86 meters in the high jump set the tone for her dramatic finish. She also finished first in the third event, with a multi-event personal best, in the shot put with a toss of 15.10 meters and was third with an indoor multi-event best of 6.24 meters in the long jump. Her time, in the fifth and final event of the one day competition, of 2:18.98 in the 800 meters was good for second place and another indoor personal best.

"This achievement by DeDee is the result of a solid support network provided by DeDee's strength and throws coach, John Smith, her training partner and World Championship Teammate, Connie Price-Smith, and the diverse coaching talents of our Invaders' coaching staff," said Invaders Head Coach Chris Buhler. He added, "Many of us have known that DeDee has had the talent and now she has the ideal support system."

INDIANA INVADERS PLACE FIVE IN TOP TEN AT USA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, TWO ON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM HEADED TO JAPAN

(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Invaders, a post-collegiate field & track club based in Indianapolis, had five athletes finish in the top ten at the 1999 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Georgia Dome on February 26-27. Eight members of the Invaders competed in the meet. Defending champion Connie Price-Smith, of Bloomington, finished second in the shot put with a toss of 18.62 meters, behind Teri Tunks' throw of 18.91 meters. Both Price-Smith and DeDee Nathan, of Bloomington, will represent the United States at the I.A.A.F. World Indoor Championships in Maebashi, Japan on March 5-7. Nathan, who competed in the 60 meter hurdles, was selected to the team in the pentathlon.

Sean Robbins, a graduate of Ashland University, finished fifth in the long jump with a leap of 7.96 meters. Tye Harvey, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, placed sixth in the pole vault with a personal best of 5.60 meters.

Hope Sanders, a graduate of the University of Illinois, finished 7th in the 800 and Steven Parker of Southport High School and Indiana State University, was ninth in the high jump.

"Given that this is our first appearance in a national championship, we have to feel good about the experience, progress, and direction we are headed." said Invaders' Head Coach Chris Buhler. " We have surprised a few people in our sport. Yet, this is just the beginning and we expect to make Indianapolis the home to America's best field & track team in the coming months." added Buhler.

The Invaders, a not-for-profit organization, present an innovative approach to track & field by providing a resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in the United States. Athletes have access to an employment network, affordable housing, world class training facilities, and support for competition travel expenses.