Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Wrap Up Banner Year
12/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Hoosiers Wrap Up Banner Year
Men Second in the Big Ten and 17th in the Nation, Chapman Named 2000 Big Ten Coach of the Year
Memo on the Memories
As part of their pre-season summer training, the men’s cross country team ventured into the forests of McCormick’s Creek State Park to log miles and set goals as a team. “We wanted to be a top-20 team in the nation,” said head coach Robert Chapman. The men realized that ‘saying is believing’ and saw their three day trip carry them in leaps and bounds towards their dream throughout the season.
The 2000 men’s cross country season was one of Indiana’s most exciting in recent years. It went from the men winning the first scored meet of the year (Indiana Intercollegiates) to taking 17th at both the Roy Griak Invite and Pre-NCAA’s, grabbing fifth at Notre Dame, claiming second at Big Tens, qualifying for the championships for their fourth place finish at the Great Lakes Regional, to taking 17th out of 31 hungry teams at the NCAA Championships in Ames, Iowa.
Indiana is back to tradition with a top head coach and high athletic and academic standards. At the conclusion of the season, the Hoosiers recognize First and Second Team All-Big Ten athletes and three Academic All-Big Ten athletes. Although his team already saw him in such a light, the Big Ten Conference bestowed to head coach Robert Chapman the honor of being named the 2000 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Up-to-Date or Death
Keep track of signees and other breaking news to keep you calm as you await the 2001 cross country season and follow some of your favorite Hoosiers into the spring track seasons by visiting the Indiana Athletics web site at www.athletics.indiana.edu
Choose either the Men’s Cross Country or Men’s Track and Field link. For any further inquiries or requests please contact Brooke Nash at (812) 855-9399 or email banash@indiana.edu
Head of the Hoosiers
Dr. Robert Chapman begins his third season as Head Men’s Cross Country Coach at Indiana University. In two seasons, the Hoosiers have jumped eight spots in the Big Ten standings and qualified for the NCAA championships for the first time since 1987. Following Big Tens, Chapman was voted the 2000 Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Chapman earned his Ph.D. in 1996 and took a position as a research fellow at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine in Dallas, Texas. While conducting research centered on limitations to performance in elite athletes, Chapman served as project coordinator for USA Track and Field’s and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s funded research on the "live high–train low" altitude training model.
In 1997 Chapman recruited 27 of America’s emerging elite distance athletes to participate in the most extensive research to date on the effects of altitude training on distance runners.
The group was probably the most elite ever to gather for research on the limits of distance running performance since the 1970’s. The results of the 1997 study helped to greatly impact the way top Americans and the world elite are training. Chapman’s research on exercise physiology and limitations to performance has been published in top medical journals, such as the Journal of Applied Physiology, Respiration Physiology, and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
He has authored a chapter on altitude for the medical textbook Exercise and Sports Science, as well as a position paper on altitude training for USA Track and Field’s Sports Science Committee. Considered as one of America’s foremost authorities on altitude training and applied exercise science for the elite distance runner, Chapman has made formal presentations at a wide range of scientific meetings and coaching seminars.
Chapman continues to use the tools at Indiana’s Human Performance Laboratory to help top American and Indiana University runners unlock their potential.
The dividends of Chapman’s work were visible during the 2000 season as four of the five regional scorers ran career best 10K times, one individual ran a career best 10K at the NCAA Championships, and 11 of the 21 on the roster ran career best 8K times this season.
Quote Corner
Men’s Coach Dr. Robert Chapman: “Finishing 17th in the nation is a huge step up for our program. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as a cohesive unit. Our older guys led in every aspect and have given our younger guys something to go off of in the future. A greater portion of our athletes lettered this year due to the contributions made across the board. They did what it takes.”
Super Signees
Of the 10 recruits in Chapman’s initial 1999 class, six had broken 9:20 for 3,200m in high school, while four had run faster than 4:18 for 1,600m. In 2000, Chapman is at it again. The appeal of being part of a flowering success story has attracted high caliber athletes with prestigious prep records to Indiana University once more.
Stephen Haas (Huntersville, NC/North Mecklinburg) finished 11th at the Foot Locker XC Nationals as a junior and won the North Carolina State XC meet this fall with a time of 15:08.
Twin brothers Sean and John Jefferson (Delray Beach, FL-Atlantic HS) will create double trouble for the competition. John Jefferson has run a 4:10.66 for a full mile while his brother Sean was the 2000 Florida State 3200m Champion, running 9:13.52, which is a state meet record. John took second while Sean took third at the 2000 State Cross Country Championships to lead their team to the state title.
Lotsa Letters
With such a range of talent available, Chapman was able to interchange his athletes for specific meets. This proved to be a positive aspect to his athletes’ training in order to avoid injury and reap results. However, it only made Chapman’s decision harder when narrowing down letterwinners.
“Typically, we only letter the guys who went to the Big Ten Championship, but this year, since it was a banner year, I lettered everyone who ran this season and made a contribution,” said Chapman.
1. Aaron Gillen (Sr.)-1997, 98, 99, 00
2. Tom Brooks (Sr.)-1999, 00
3. Dan Billish (Sr.)-1998, 00
4. Chris Ekman (Sr.)-1998, 00
5. Kevin Chandler (Jr.)-2000
6. Matt Sweetman (So./Fr.)-2000
7. Bart Phariss (So./Fr.)-2000
8. Chris Powers (So.)-1999, 00
9. Chad Andrews (So.)-1999, 00
10. Nathan Purcell (So./Fr.)-2000
11. Jeff Zeha (So./Fr.)-2000
12. Nathan Gooden (So./Fr.)-2000
Wise Guys
Three men’s cross country athletes received Academic All-Big Ten honors this fall: Kevin Chandler (Jr.--Computer Information Systems), Nathan Gooden (So./Fr.--Political Science), and Chris Powers (So.--Computer Information Systems).
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their academic institution and carry a career grade point average of 3.0 or better.
All-Big Ten Hoosiers
Two Hoosiers helped to hoist their team from fifth place in 1999 to second in 2000 at the Big Ten Championship.
Senior Aaron Gillen, who led the Hoosiers in every scored meet of the season, took third overall and was named First Team All-Big Ten. His time of 24:11 is his fastest career 8K and shatters his 1999 Big Ten performance by two minutes and 17 seconds (29th/26:28).
Sophomore Chad Andrews took 11th with a time of 24:39 compared to a 1999 Big Ten time of 26:34.9 (34th). That is an improvement by one minute and 55 seconds.
Team Tallies
The Hoosiers gave their all in 2000 and reeled in impressive performances:
| Meet | Finish and Points |
| 9/1: Sam Bell Inv. 7K | Not Scored |
| 9/15: Intercollegiates 8K | 1st/22 (59 pts.) |
| 9/23: Roy Griak Inv. 8K | 17th/31 (380 pts.) |
| 10/6: Notre Dame 8K | 5th/22 (172 pts.) |
| 10/14: Pre-NCAA's 10K | 17th/53 (537 pts.) |
| 10/29: Big Ten Championship 8K | 2nd/10 (81 pts.) |
| 11/11: Great Lakes Regional 10K | 4th/31 (151 pts.) |
| 11/20:NCAA Championships10K | 17th/31 (479 pts.) |
Returners Breaking Records
Evidence that the Hoosiers are improving is evident in the fact that four returners (non-freshman/non-freshman redshirts) ran career best 8K times this season. Three duplicated the identical feat at the 10K distance.
Returning Record Breakers/Previous Career Best (Excluding 2000)
8,000m:
Chad Andrews-24:39 (2000 Big Tens)/26:05.7 (1999 Pre-NCAA's)
Kevin Chandler-25:24 (2000 Notre Dame Invite)/25:44.9 (1999 Intercollegiates)
Doug Paley-27:32.50 (2000 Intercollegiates Open)
Chris Powers-24:47 (2000 Regionals)/25:55.2 (1999 Pre-NCAA's)
Returning Record Breakers/Previous Career Best (Excluding 2000)
10,000m:
Chad Andrews-31:31.7 (2000 Regionals)/32:17.8 (1999 Regionals)
Kevin Chandler-32:41.3 (2000 NCAA Championships)
Chris Powers-31:59.9 (2000 Regionals)/32:55.5 (1999 Regionals)
Poll Performance
The men’s progress did not go unnoticed. Throughout the season, their performance resulted in the displacement of the competition in both the regional and national polls. After defeating Duke and Eastern Michigan for fifth place at Notre Dame, Indiana could no longer be denied and appeared in the MONDO poll on October 10.
USCCCA Great Lakes Region 2000 Rankings:
9/27: Indiana (6th)
10/2: Indiana (5th)
10/10: Indiana (4th)
10/18: Indiana (5th)
10/31: Indiana (2nd)
Indiana’s Great Lakes Regional Finish: 4th
MONDO Men's Division I 2000 National Rankings:
10/10: Indiana (22nd)
10/18: Indiana (24th)
10/31: Indiana (15th)
11/14: Indiana (22nd)
Indiana’s NCAA Championships Finish: 17th
Every Guys’ Goal
Individual Bests from the 2000 season are listed below:
| Athlete: | 8,000m: | 10,000m: |
| Chad Andrews | 24:39 (Big Tens) | 31:31.7 (Regionals) |
| Dan Billish | 25:34 (Notre Dame) | 33:33.5 (Pre-NCAA) |
| Tom Brooks | 25:55 (Roy Griak) | |
| Kevin Chandler | 25:24 (Notre Dame) | 32:41.3 (NCAA's) |
| Chris Ekman | 25:09 (Big Tens) | |
| Kurtis George | 26:12.10 (Indiana Intercollegiates Open) | |
| Aaron Gillen | 24:11 (Big Tens) | 31:08.0 (Regionals) |
| Nathan Gooden | 26:12.41 (Indiana Intercollegiates) | |
| Doug Paley | 27:32.50 (Indiana Intercollegiates Open) | |
| Bart Phariss | 24:52 (Notre Dame) | 32:21.5 (Pre-NCAA) |
| Chris Powers | 24:47 (Notre Dame) | 31:59.9 (Regionals) |
| Nathan Purcell | 25:23 (Big Tens) | 32:17.7 (NCAA's) |
| Matt Sweetman | 26:07 (Notre Dame Open) | 33:30.2 (Pre-NCAA) |
| Jeff Zeha | 25:14 (Notre Dame) | 32:10.5 (Regionals) |
Team Leaders
Leaders at each distance are listed below:
| Distance: | Athlete: | Time: | Meet: |
| 8,000m | Aaron Gillen | 24:11 | Big Ten Championship |
| Chad Andrews | 24:39 | Big Ten Championship | |
| Chris Powers | 24:47 | Notre Dame Invite | |
| Bart Phariss | 24:52 | Notre Dame Invite | |
| Chris Ekman | 25:09 | Big Ten Championship | |
| Jeff Zeha | 25:14 | Notre Dame Invite |
| Distance: | Athlete: | Time: | Meet: |
| 10,000m | Aaron Gillen | 31:08.0 | Great Lakes Regional |
| Chad Andrews | 31:31.7 | Great Lakes Regional | |
| Chris Powers | 31:59.9 | Great Lakes Regional | |
| Jeff Zeha | 32:10.5 | Great Lakes Regional | |
| Nathan Purcell | 32:17.7 | NCAA Championships | |
| Bart Phariss | 32:21.5 | Pre-NCAA's |
Vx7=S
Seven versatile runners equals success. The Hoosiers realized this at the NCAA Championships as So./Fr. Nathan Purcell broke into the top five after rebuilding throughout the season following the development of a nagging injury over the summer.
Coming through for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships were the following runners:
1. Sr. Aaron Gillen-47th (31:17.8)
2. So. Chad Andrews-83rd (31:38.1)
3. So. Chris Powers-138th (32:02.4)
4. So./Fr. Nathan Purcell-163rd (32:17.7)
5. So./Fr. Jeff Zeha-171st (32:20.2)
6. So./Fr. Bart Phariss-205th (32:39.9)
7. Jr. Kevin Chandler-207th (32:41.3)
