March 20, 2008

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State track and field program have announced that the 2008 ISU summer track and field camp open to all athletes ages 12-18, will be held on the campus of ISU June 15-18. Deadline for registration is Monday, June 2.

The ISU track and field camp is designed to teach all facets of the sport to athletes that are looking to excel in the area of sprints, jumps, distance, throws and pole vault. The camp will also cover strength and conditioning, as well as nutritional information for the campers. Individual groups will also discuss proper mental training for practice and competition.

Campers will be directed by Illinois State's elite coaching staff. Camp director and head ISU track and field coach, Elvis Forde, a two-time Olympian and a four-time All-American sprinter, will instruct campers in the sprints and hurdles. Head cross country coach Jeff Bovee, who has coached numerous National Junior College Athletic Association and NCAA Division II All-Americans, will instruct the distance runners, with the help of graduate assistant coach Bryan George.

Assistant track and field/jumps coach Tim Thompson, who has coached one All-American and three national qualifiers, and who holds a USA Track and Field Level II coaches certification in jumps, will instruct campers in the high jump, triple jump, long jump and pole vault. In addition, second-year assistant track and field/throws coach Jeff Chakouian, who is a six-time NCAA Division I All-American thrower and a 2001 Pan American Games Junior Champion, will instruct campers in the shot put, discus, hammer and javelin.

The fee for an overnight camper to attend is $300, this includes lodging, meals and a T-shirt. Commuting campers will be charged a reduced rate of $250. Camp registration forms can be found on GoRedbirds.com on the main page under camps. Please make checks payable to Illinois State Track and Field Camp. A late registration fee of $25 will be charged to those who do not make the June 2 registration deadline.

For additional information or questions, please contact head track and field coach Elvis Forde at eaforde@ilstu.edu, head cross country coach Jeff Bovee at jlbovee@ilstu.edu, assistant track and field/jumps coach Tim Thompson at tthomp2@ilstu.edu or assistant track and field/throws coach Jeff Chakouian at jcchako@ilstu.edu.