JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================z" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?ky/[[-(F['sMJNf<}\?*o[kqNym[CzyFwbT~e3H\T?JY$u($7oKk,:l.LH` [h!:Oy׆t Է2&XU2n=}qVmҘD4(@gv9m۩}Rs_z;lczw.AJ>5i$>;TW 7lQ#7ס-v !9" ]O]ρm\*=I^i*z\X Dc<f>b=qH>3恝>lz=c7M'&0TК|zDsNI VsaF1}=1 ˱JO1wNF 4]Fu0k}&#ב\4@.;W-K1X.9cU)&jЩJ\Vgƽ*%̚u/\vz]+o_Jrsn<;cy_V U>PNMUѴ}^k8.V|n*?N޴H5%^Ǣƍ6B4(pW;~gkV.ViqkY-Ƨ{NC4i-k:ZIpiRYQ*]EkJY}G4++ٝg,OisOw k `A"zAF\)&MNm sF<kѫQ$JG* 27_x&IXO(g]ιXxW;~U[-&ghj]]$Nq9ΥV:.Xac|~&d{D<"u:@88 ElXyy@(6&@䃁=+6̻[W #6le#^v_BO؅ $K"*R&}QI%RBkr \jIlŒ cF -ln˕)C7gI+7MaDd[ydI ޥn~̏*(R3ZsVx^ltrqȪZ>aw$QF;rNrH.xƃה[WjvJUfO1p3UcfKA[? ai= l%: k}v/$ #νWPofSɩugN6W9)PUI{Nwcv9t,`#Ky ! 6G:UoKԡԐb)@JW7RSӼ! Bq"!8#Ex Hpmd>cvo+H՝90ꣵTRFerR>M$^k aXLsHW*GwL y`ߑM ֏)o9Wl8UI"#le !ПL~+ŧ]L'I]x{HItnd|rTW5g kqߤk\cy'=(Õ;Uwՙ/wDQ 2 z+4}CCD˞r+:UKmYv/#{&!GޛmKB/y LogKik-M8ϰ5뚯K}1qkq"b,9aָ߇:mhJ.2Fr~9mMJ2H}>+ 2LJGZ}O1~DT-A;zs޼JY,n#ox>RIwwp-m#ץjgT[),t WWMf[7ֶ +,QF zc?v,v=ˣC}'miMF8]^8ƫH3 KJԂb@Q ׸jF^]}Er2?ZxrgVU[K FJks8&o\GAְq]$-9Y#ӻ r+-R+/ULPa@A^iL5qvvR?\ԨgUپWj amIt9>+|}xOʮƛUZ{=:-+ZF\F?^v{ֻ<z5yEkHֻw} y8.cAҹi֎Lm"jWmطro˜U;i.fe6:QTcc4;hv]qv pI ˎ.,ۚTVDžn4Ga9(ý.%dh'sgץsϕmk-rь0YWޝm:Y[p}"H'_i ͓Ӟ9M}:G\Jdaq;_Q*R{S-9Rsڭޣ|n%KI`$oxZ ø̈6_<=qV< l-#yf3#o9+_h~iw+j^?u_ >jnL\N}W>oBڽN{~c򍧕P88hrhDdQ|ݩhsj=[,me,a>[jKxf = bNщI]X5+^TKt $|IFZSozCwvkx7( FNpqש뚌ZJʮ. =uTǛASzqbu,`6Z_Ouj BDF\܂Y_mEC'sW|D"u9V2I88a'z).w 9^kWZ.6m;EԠ,A|;WawGټf!!`{}sU9П:8u2CTdL{2W,#c(UZSzXi2# apLEv@ cҊVU#v3J(J4=L Wsƻ:V✹c^-%g" @R?J'(VDk[P\#pk@ q{4ٲr{\5_ӓf9C1UNčengm; qkʎx`)>%RuBy the 2000 season, Ben had achieved a 385 Bench, a 390 Hang Clean, a 330 Power Clean, a 525 Parallel Squat, a 5.0 forty and a 32.5 Vertical Jump. He can dunk a basketball now at 280 pounds. Coach Hartman says,  Ben numbers aren t as great as some others but what sets him apart is his athleticism and flexibility. So he is a great athlete who has gotten continually stronger and better. <br>Ben was a 1999 All-American and a pre-season 2000 All-American. He has also been selected as a 2000 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award Candidate. Ben states,  While growing up in Wayzata, playing for the University of Minnesota was always a dream for me. After my freshman year, I wasn t sure what to expect for the rest of my college career because of coaching changes. But, Coach Mason came in and changed the attitudes and expectations of Gopher football. I am very proud that I was part of transforming this program back into a winner. <br>Ben believes that hard work has gotten him where he is.  I ve used goal setting, says Ben.  Goals help you to stay focused. On a big day in the weight room or on the football field, I visualize being successful. I visualize beating the weight. I do the same in football by visualizing great execution. <br>The most inspirational person in Ben s life has been his father.  He has always been there for me, says Ben.  My father has been a good example. Ben s father was a former Minnesota Viking offensive lineman. He taught Ben well. Ben is the first offensive lineman to be named All-American since Outland Trophy winner Bobby Bell in 1962. <br>Ben red-shirted his first year and was a Scholar-Athlete winner. He started as a freshman in 1997 in all 12 games and was an All-Big Ten selection. The next year Ben was a pre-season honorable mention All-American. In addition to being a first team All-American last year, Ben was named the team s Paul Giel award winner, which honors the player who exhibits total unselfishness and most concern about the University of Minnesota. <br>One of the pre-season teams that Ben made was the Playboy All-American team. He turned them down.  My relationship with God is the most important thing in my life, explained Ben.  Turning down Playboy was hard because lineman don t get many honors. But I didn t want to give a mixed message. If you are a Christian, you should lead by example. <br>Ben leads by example in other areas. He doesn t smoke, chew or do drugs.  You can find that stuff, Ben says.  I ve just never wanted to try it. Ben carries a 3.2 GPA. He is never late to class. In fact, one of his traits is that he is always early. Ben has missed zero tests.<br> I don t miss things, says Ben.  You have to pay attention to time management. I have a day planner type of calendar. Besides, I really like my classes, especially math and my major. Ben will graduate in Civil Engineering and, after whatever happens in pro football, wants to manage construction projects. <br>Karon did not lift weights at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit.  Because, says Karon,  I was always in sports. I played three sports and I was natura