JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?kh˒xNI cnk\w$-62Vا~vG\+F+P=+&HCGR5@BH(U$2vԡYT+u.\s Ticpr:sS8&'mZ(#SLŲ}Vdq:$ e ' *{ uuoj3qFM ]ӄΠJֵ`%\wBE2ԉ\T@<+pA'q޸|jxy1؏T@7&hX7x["?.HPWj\~_9)_kO}WQ72I;v8})/nc8"8ĒƪQkf෵VrMlڹ|Dn1 ?:<)+VHc`H?xw _*P~7x4u;%+ع%Kou]Rd!z^Ef~/ӭZ;zdrS[U+hr#Z6YFCgߵfxf221†T,eH62e1[i}AG'ƽ+^*(Em t@,1Nzi?rE}Ix昄0(yxBltycJO4cj.=Co5aOrohz Lxzߡ3ܹ!Tpqu#$M*oiwGG2jZW7(@]?aXXvZ6G rιAb[O#فH*s+ˋ"\$.~9WGm `V7-ҁY18,sMj>ψsjXt9eaw5J-κ*/5F¨My74ۗ5MBMV0*N*Z`cyn*~ii,1,_j.Kfm.b"8ުL'-V2z%UdKl01{^sHRzU> pzQ[{8v#0ovEOa3Fδmu+ 7w?g3`O}k=%R *8B×$92IoƁB ZCӸy;})Fsޔm=AbYbO( CSNúI sOYhqȀ +VNl/[kmppj{:oH2eR18#swڔaF0*h܃~#9Ȁ%bW'')a)5Vg`~Z@2q֗~M ]2w9̑W!rQÐ1ixӐEABϭ`u@<ҚOҐZ(atˡ1R&y8gޛaqIHoaRsS7A#p*% gҐs)!#?1Q>wH1.PsU{(Yͮ;h@f1 gf4HdlVf;U60J$,s1%&75#B뵳Z-9u2JR֏C"nUx؀=1RZkO5i~ (hl}LMuJ͢hu.GnZxLLKX`1~uq1i:nXL< $Ehdc#={j֕aQzK bpNhQ T{X˝#,Oz[0:c[95Կff^>sEId:Sf>/BLy8Fr}=OK'BcR &m"yB*vPzWY+5֣47 1鎃[麌E4c pGWtS5U$sXW}SjCNF{^kj2k:󎕥j5%3seZJŌq1'UԔ'n{AXJ Io|$ e=? <5szdRFV4=~+c3KV,0wc5Ug[5b#N-4acز `]n`Rx|%fv +9*Swc΁ˌ[z9 XsnqdΉvi@929>^ϳ`$0<{b9w[ǯ.w"6xEYыȦ$xbZbM!##v3wК @'q[8=OxbلZ)lF@}Nǹͺ/Z<^)\K` HEJR!`6Xc0,G2i8@]lhlw{zQOF@@ͱ ܧ510>Xzl'ĝ2zqrZYc*<Ո\H0U :wF *L1 1*EO U};)'!@Z'*w t @Y]v,lG;*qۡ%OQV 8?7&9$=hi-9c@mo98'7^H(@\MA#N ĕ\F*N{`杴d#҂rycO9#V$H?2}if> 8 0"9h=8vʍ?aσZAO>YS1/(gHe_$]Q v!!r 9QǨ 1AqE$S,X7iUIc*@>2`{E12ӴdBen was 6-4 and only 220 pounds at Wayzata High School in Minnesota. He had a 400 parallel squat and ran a 5.4 forty. He was a USA Today Honorable Mention 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 Chr