Posted: July 2, 2004

Athletics: USATF Club Championships begin Friday

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Invaders will take on many of America’s finest teams as the men’s and women’s defending team champions at the 2004 USATF National Club Track & Field Championships July 2-3 in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Invaders will not face an easy road to repeating with a full squad from the Greater Boston Track Club traveling to Bloomington with hopes of reclaiming both of the titles they won in 2002. On the men’s side the Invaders may also be pushed by the Farm Team (Calif.), Kansas City Smoke (Mo.) and new-comer Mid-Atlantic Elite (Md.). On the women’s side Farm Team (Calif.), First Step Track Club (Fla.) and Lemans TC (N.Y.) are expected to challenge for the title.

The Club Championships will also be the last competition for athletes trying to obtain Olympic Trials qualifying marks. Several potential Olympians have entered the competition. Among those are Melissa Morrison (100m, 100m Hurdles), Paul McMullen (1,500), Robert Gary (3,000m Steeplechase), Calvin Davis (400m Hurdles), Serene Ross (Javelin), and Tom Pukstys (Javelin).

Other clubs with athletes entered in this championship include:, Ashland Elite (Ohio), Atlanta TC (Ga.), Bell Athletics (Ark.), Bruin TC (Ind.), Central Illinois TC (Ill.), Central Park TC (N.Y.), Club Northwest (Wash.), ConnQuest (Conn.), Front Line RT (Mich.), Greater Milwaukee TC (Wisc.), Haddonfield Running Co (N.J.), Knoxville TC (Tenn.), Lords of the Rings (WI), Metro Run & Walk TC (VA), New Haven Age Group Track Club (Conn.), New York Athletic Club (N.Y.), Ozark Track League (Mo.), Phenom Athlete's (N.C.), Pike Creek Valley Running Clubs (Pa.), PTC Elite Track & Field (Tex.), Reebok Boston (Mass.), Roland International (Pa.), Speed XL T&F Team (Ind.), SO Cal TC (Calif.), Syracuse Chargers (N.Y.), Universal Sole-Reebok (Ill.), Westchester TC (N.Y.), Wisconsin Runner Racing Team (Wisc.), XL Sports Acceleration (Ia.).

The second event in the Club Championship Series will be the USATF National Club Marathon Relay Championships on October 2 in Akron, OH. The Series will conclude with the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships on December 4 in Portland, Ore.

For more information on the USATF Club National Track & Field Championships, visit www.usatf.org/events/2004/USATFClubTFChampionships. Results will be posted to the USATF Web site following the meet on Saturday.