Road to the championships

The IU men's and women's track and field teams will send 14 athletes June 7-10 to Sacramento State University for the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. \nThe players representing the Hoosiers on the men's side are All-American seniors John Jefferson and Stephen Haas and All-American junior David Neville, as well as seniors Wil Fleming and Ryan Ketchum, junior Treymayne Warfield, sophomores Doug Dayhoff, Ryan Smith and Kyle Jenkins and freshman John Gunnell.\nFleming, who will be competing in the hammer throw, said he will be grateful to be there after overcoming misfortunes that kept him out of the event in the past.\n"I am so excited," Fleming said. "I have had hard luck and injuries in the past so it was a long time coming for me to go to the NCAAs."\nWhen it comes to actually winning his event, Fleming isn't so sure how he will fare but holds out hope for an overall victory.\n"It will be very hard for me to win my event but it is not out of the realm of possibility either," Fleming said.\nOn the women's side IU will have fewer runners than their male counterparts, but they will still be well represented by seniors Ara Towns, Kelly Siefker and Larra Overton, as well as junior Jessica Gall.\nGall, who will compete in the 10,000 meter run, also said she feels extremely privileged to be going to this meet. \n"I feel very excited to have been invited to this event, and it is what I have been training for all year," Gall said. \nWith the 14 athletes IU is sending it will mark the third time in the last four years that the Hoosiers have sent nine or more individuals to the national outdoor championships.\nAs a representative of IU Fleming hopes to make the Hoosiers a respected team at the meet. \n"We have a strong group, and hopefully we can just go out there and do our best," Fleming said.