January 21, 2006
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders formally announced the addition of a new coach to the team's staff. The Invaders have added long distance coach Matt Ebersole, an Indiana native and graduate of Ball State University and Harding High School (Ft. Wayne, Ind).

Ebersole, a long-time personal running coach based in Indianapolis, has had over 4,000 people go through his training programs since 1991. Ebersole has been very involved locally in developing training programs for the famed Indy Mini Half Marathon and nationally has been involved in developing the Team in Training programs for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Coach Ebersole has produced three Olympic Trials qualifying athletes in the marathon including two athletes qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon.

Ebersole will join the Invaders' program with a specific emphasis on the long distance running element of the team's elite development program. Ebersole's responsibilities will be to recruit and retain top Indiana distance talent, and to further develop the talent of the team's roster at the longer distances. Ebersole's role with the team will complement Team Director and Coach Greg Harger's successes in developing national class middle distance talent.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "Ebersole has been a long-time fixture in the Indianapolis running community. His programs have helped thousands experience running in a positive way and his addition to the Invaders really means that we have more critical coaching resources available to focus on aspiring US elite development talent targeting USA LDR Championships. We'll work closely together, combining our experiences and shared enthusiasm for the work involved in building a stronger example of athletic excellence for our community." Harger added, "The team is excited to have Ebersole with the program. The additional coaching resources available to our distance athletes means greater dividends in our community as we position ourselves to support our athletes to compete at a higher national and international level in long distance events."

Coach Matt Ebersole said, "Retaining and supporting the distance running talent of Indiana is one of our biggest challenges. By developing and focusing our community resources we can support a medal winning program for Indiana’s elite athletes. I'm very excited to work with Coach Harger as we build a model for Olympic Development in our community." Ebersole added, "My coaching philosophy is to train intelligently, focus on the long-term goals and develop the base needed to compete consistently at a high level nationally."

Since 1999 the Invaders have had one IAAF World Indoor Champion, one IAAF World Indoor Bronze Medalist, eight USA National Champions, one USA Olympic Team Member, nine USA National Team Members and 128 USA National Championship Qualifiers.