FORMER FERRIS ATHLETE ADDED TO INDIANA INVADERS ROSTER
Three-time All-American Katie Chapman Joins Elite USA Track And Field Club Team
 Former Ferris State University women’s track and field middle distance runner and current student assistant coach Katie Chapman (Detroit/Cass Tech) has been added to the Indiana Invaders roster in an announcement made by Invaders’ Team Director Greg Harger. The Invaders are a team comprised of elite athletes who compete in USA Track and Field National Championship competitions in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field along with the marathon.
A three-time NCAA Division II All-America honoree, Chapman presently holds school records in both the indoor (2:09.30) and outdoor (2:06.94) 800-meter events at Ferris State. The 2000-01 FSU Most Valuable Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete placed third overall (2:09.30) in the 800 meters while recording the program’s highest all-time individual finish at the 2002 NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships (3/8-9) in the Reggie Lewis Center at Boston, Mass. She also ranks first in the 4x800-meter relay (9:38.96) and second in the outdoor 1,500-meter run (4:38.50) among the school’s all-time performers to date.
Chapman, a three-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) individual champion, also garnered NCAA-II All-America accolades with a seventh-place (2:15.00) showing in the 800 meters at the 2001 NCAA-II Outdoor Track and Field Championships (5/25-26) in Edwardsville, Ill. Chapman earned 2001 NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field All-America honors with a seventh-place (2:14.49) finish in the 800-meter race at the NCAA-II Championships (3/9-10) in Boston.
“Katie has the enthusiasm and talent to make an impact in short order,” Harger said. “It’s great to add someone of her talent to our roster. She knows what she wants to accomplish and she’s willing to make the sacrifices required to get the job done.”
Chapman, who also competed in women’s cross country at FSU, concluded her collegiate eligibility during the 2001-02 campaign. She registered five first-place finishes in the 800 meters as a senior, including the 2002 GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (5/3-4) where she broke the league’s 800-meter record (2:08.63) at Northwood University’s Fisher Track in Midland, Mich. A four-time All-GLIAC selection, Chapman was a two-time (2001 and 2002) GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Champion in the 800 meters under head coach Jeff Kavalunas at FSU.
As a prepster, Chapman was a four-time (1994-97) Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) 800-meter state runner-up. The three-time Detroit City Champion (800 meters) twice competed in the national Junior Olympics. She joins United States Track and Field veteran 800-meter runner Hope Sanders in the Invaders lineup.
“Chapman and Sanders will make their presence known at the national championships,” Harger said.
The Indiana Invaders serve men and women in all track and field events. Team members are residents of Indiana and in most cases live and train in the Indianapolis area. In 2001, the team claimed the USA National Track and Field Championship, the Women’s National Track and Field Club title and the Women’s National Cross Country Club Championship in its third full year of competition. The Invaders also produced the world’s second-fastest time in the distance medley relay. The Indiana Invaders had 30 individuals ranked among the nation’s top 50 performers and two national champions. In their first three seasons, the Invaders produced seven national champions and one world champion.
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