Jumper brings spirit, substance to IU

One thing was missing from IU's indoor track meet Saturday against visiting Ohio State. That missing factor was one of the biggest sparks the Hoosiers rely on to build momentum.\nLooming over opponents at 6-foot-6, North Carolina native and sophomore Hasaan Reddick arrived at IU, in search of his niche, with little experience and great potential. He found his calling in the long jump and triple jump and as the emotional leader of the men's indoor track team.\nDuring his freshman year, Reddick left his footprints in landing pits throughout the Big Ten. He placed ninth in the triple jump in his first Big Ten Indoor Championship, and then improved to sixth in the outdoor conference championship meet.\nThis year, he jumped off on the right foot, winning the long jump with a personal best against Michigan. \nReddick was sidelined for the Ohio State meet because of illness. \nHis energizing spirit -- the pep missing in the loss to the Buckeyes -- creates an aura of confidence that surrounds his fellow jumpers. But without it, the Hoosier jumpers lacked the explosive bounce to claim victory in any of the three jumping events against the Buckeyes. \nBut his coaches said they see the opportunity for greatness in Reddick if he can stay healthy and focused.\n"He's nowhere near tapping what he can do," assistant coach Wayne Pate said. "It's just going to take a couple of years to build confidence. He has confidence, but he just needs to emotionally put it in the right place. He gets so emotionally wrapped up in the physical performance that he gets out of the mental aspect."\nBecause of Pate's efforts and eye for raw talent, Reddick made the journey to Bloomington. IU was the only school that recruited Reddick from beginning to end, he said. \n"His potential is phenomenal," Pate said. "We go to some meets and coaches come up to me and ask me where I got this guy. By the time he's a senior, I hope to see him at the NCAAs in the top five. \nWhen he gets in competition, he's very emotionally athletic, so the bigger the competition, the better he does."\nReddick said he has high hopes for his track career, but he has his head on straight. He said he realizes track will not always be a part of his life, so he's focusing on a college degree. \n"I plan to get my degree in kinesiology-sports communication," Reddick said. "And I know it's an awful big dream, but I hope to see some sort of NCAA competition, and do real well in the finals. After that, I'll train for the 2004 Olympic team."\nReddick might not be one of the most experienced athletes on the team, but he's made life much easier for the newcomers, and junior Jon Lange, who participates in the long jump to take his mind off the high jump, his strong event.\n"He's really upbeat and brings a lot of life to our little jump squad," Lange said. "He helps me out with advice. When I'm practicing, he'll let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, and he helps add confidence for the younger guys"