JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?wZDix(EH(,z._d4bLe[n+:̞Ř>1~ldb{ONUȌ2g*)ϙٞ7 (85 FbDj[1o լ*1_Py?aS. w[(+7sβ9 N0;w[ڃoq_$dS\u׮< IڈӯOKvgIӧ{X8eqӡkG⻀q€}*׋iMHmb=F: lՕco,sXTZHҕc6M9I3.sץt̂PjD-w42᜿Y`v]O 鴨m'ϐyň'zg?U;ߋ8U1MHFp12zWykm53ҽT+y#3޼nG]5"99=5xsiji&(ͼrdž\#ʭ|%@=ܔ"72&dbF-Lg8n:*y$=::0KlGe{u (K9X0k;Gq WV1|;u%DGoXrtw XjˍnM`TZ" VF!+y6sЏhldWa$gs]UX"1( #3IncN :39c'˕#=(`#-Z탯NPcŠv:oGhiPU8N>[bI+ǧ"(=޸6mV?\:?+m-cJ@E6gn*BԤGP `uaDTėSQ/*Os_YA@ {֖L&VL sDAiteɕ>WjUsn8w{.Hp;[{mvx 7IGAÍ-Nc Lf#;Hw+?L,n`}zzΩ\lppxBh !a+ #mnԎ9a4iveUQӯd:g]猎޵4-z^Jgk+Pf # Gn秆%Dև<v숬-J?Z -z  Is :YeQw%'wݧIq֒ < fЪǚ+m)\\Zis$YQm|sٝ}'Vmuge"  ٘UޛW%z~;NuI͸P̤G\Ҕ.KZj~) Ǯir56CDToJ}aH`;fozmٲO+ #)qbv2qqXݧ.*I>e{ze$nzd: Ks Dgj瑒{ MGĚno-v*lP>rB>RUڣ$9ֲi;^ZG/|1=̓I9W=zyx5g.HN9= xX9:ơxQroW8NJ2zw$2Rpwo=5b$ۆ$t.pZ-t/HB\|`v>_P׮)arV'RJ#>3.+F v2V {k<s\j[⸎ߤge9ҩ[BN"f`H׍+ɢ~)X0'$[~U͞1^4 [a9'xNAa+\zm49| fMu_fag籆0~Q vZѣ||㎄\۱gbzNkedr;V՟.mI~vy"ƛI_e&4}r&=BK9Z\;'Vu㟠4TΔc&it=z[uV@Aj=6} Q yNH8^}#I qnvac3;+H C. sS[ecnU8+;T 8LSKaY9bfl{+嫗(OS ߥ5*zJ:ױ|%3y#/3oR5a> ޗ+B1ʲ(0\ߺ s Q zwmgFMhus-;GtmSM$w)oh w8}<1c6~٧v=➇OԞkb;(`1bg9Z:_k:2I5pWWXَ:q;2z1n~`z]T~u" #rJ  Gt^VlT e94B@"F@`~cQ&t\)8Baj%,#jV^r o=@jàfb7J 9 ԬqM*1!X@v灞k/젂I_N+u> , V(Q<*,V3$2͸OQ6pOF?!%G\j{dH~5tgbem q(9JЬDiAmN:si۾Ήye^0 m{sx|zcY|QWK܎—r@"6EMs\](UhRvc֥Xٗp[G.<)<ƞYe qY&PJ_E'{).#cңI„h(pz~0c(9wmnx^x̏v5#27zFɪh~Kdde3ptP>Q^V1ue>Ƶ [,V3qbakXP gVd-.J 8bp#1qGG@I搓ۡza8VB8A9ĸ$9HJIg[Q$`R2FxF$m&o"9&rw*k$mH1^-e2YĢQsdKsp$c49=OoZMiԟVͲ;uN#;w@R0!sXĀ԰WG c*a+)(|h U`{*.t:q PĎL& Dž#iRXpwsnbк45 P!k. =J_(.xTH^a*]nA;}HImCp8\!͆Q_j"}N:?G*#ޮjW6pۼ772F#o{s\,KݎF88{3#6;] M_Rrɺ!R "s]fzV$c~uPR-܁y=NGt'Ğ'%g\(lYyLV5$ )$G5 *yڔ-P}̨|]i9?/֥v<# ҴBpY p2:~ z E3% AwOjI-%\g֮=uezH[l$T+sآ )Ϛv Ʃ1ܱ29.COPEi)7Kaģ}igR+0^FT# E4$>D 7Q8֊*za+q}?iYpN~QTb̎ŝN2;Sl@*X-]@d; .!wMberr92aŒdQU<$o#!FcCS< (¸,qHp8#EB All-America and an All-State selection. Ben also lettered in tennis and was an honor roll student. However, the University of Minnesota was his only big-time college offer. Says Ben,  I was optimistic, but I knew I had to work hard to become bigger, faster and stronger. <br>By 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