Select Hoosiers head to NCAA Championships

Six Hoosiers have survived both the indoor and outdoor track and field season to arrive in Austin, Texas, for the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. \nIU's mix of qualifiers covers every discipline of the sport. Four already have All-American accolades from previous seasons, while a fifth makes his first appearance on the national stage. \nSophomore All-American Sean Jefferson is a postseason veteran, having been at the apex of every level of competition since high school. After earning his first All-American award at the NCAA Cross Country Championships this fall, Jefferson won the 2004 NCAA Indoor Mile title in grand fashion with a 4 minutes, 0.16 seconds. Jefferson stayed on course, notching the nation's fourth-best 1,500-meter time in April at 3:40.90, equivalent to a 3:57 mile. He then won a dramatic Big Ten 1,500 event over this year's second-fastest 1,500-meter runner, Wisconsin's Josh Spiker. Despite a slight foot injury, Jefferson is poised for another top 1,500-meter performance. \n"I've got some tough guys in my prelim," said Jefferson, referring to his the preliminary heat. "My foot's not perfect, but at the same time it really shouldn't hinder me at all."\nA Florida native, Jefferson said he doesn't expect the sweltering Texas heat or his foot to slow him down.\n"Sean ran four 400's in 58 seconds Sunday," said IU assistant coach Robert Chapman. "So we know his foot is fine to race."\nJunior All-American Aarik Wilson also is no stranger to the NCAA Championships. He has placed second nationally in the triple jump in 2003 and holds this year's second best jump and IU's school record, 16.91 meters, which he set at the NCAA Mideast regional two weeks ago. After redshirting the indoor season, Wilson is back on track, repeating as Big Ten triple-jump champion and taking second in the long jump, which he also will compete in this weekend.\nFreshman All-American David Neville has performed phenomenally both indoors and outdoors, earning All-American status at indoors with a seventh-place finish in the 200-meters. Neville exploded as a contender for NCAA titles in both the 200- and 400-meters at outdoor Big Ten's, winning both handily in 20.39 and 45.05 seconds, respectively. His 400-meter time bettered the Olympic 'A' qualifying standard, giving him a solid chance at making the Olympic squad and an even better shot at making the U.S. relay pool for the 4x400-meter relay. Neville improves each time he steps on the track, and he has yet to lose a big race outdoors. \nSenior All-American Chris Powers is IU's elder statesman, despite this being his first trip to NCAA Outdoors. Powers earned All-American status this fall in cross-country and has competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2002. Powers has peaked at the right time, running IU's fourth best time ever in the 5,000-meters a few weeks ago at 13:48, which ranks him behind three IU former Olympians. Powers snared an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships by placing third two weeks ago at the NCAA regionals in a controlled 14:18. \n"I've been concentrated on really rolling the last one to two kilometers," Powers said. "That's always the important part of the NCAA final."\nRounding out this group is the man with perhaps the toughest task. Junior Jake Wiseman will compete in the decathlon, a grueling 10-event excursion, crossing through every discipline of track and field. Wiseman, who excels particularly in the javelin and pole vault, notched his personal best and an NCAA-qualifying mark of 7,365 points at the Big Ten Championships, where he placed third. \nJoining the five Hoosier men in Austin and representing the Hoosier women will be senior Audrey Giesler, who earned a spot in the NCAA Championships by placing second in the steeplechase at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Giesler's time of 10:16.25 ranks her 17th in the country going into this week's event.\nCompetition began Wednesday with preliminary heats and the meet concludes Saturday evening for IU with the final of the 5,000-meters. Results will be available at iuhoosiers.com. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.