JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?Z( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( z=\ΐĽ['>󗍼M{ zद;v1p8Jz=ƽՊ[]0 ?SV/zcڻ~z+N"\e B~`֝'-YA2\BC#e>|=x/HcџB:訋+QE!Tu=kO5-cOw_lɩJPy.{.f9,8zU7"Sǻ\|`T\O.;$Sơ AzГ wJDW"'VVkic6:0 5-|~Y,&"~x\>?4F%eA!%A 3u?yRfd}់nE"!ڮ1?5et # Tҽ7y)ӵYZm1v90'ڕm{*+!"H)h\HŽ=J=9^7'Zb;yƒC݀*M-'%)"n'WO5Bq+.|?oG>:W4۾eotOK17Ŕ'HfF*K($H"*pTpحKD\mBU~Ma_UsJk:Z>u?x˟j\-şdJj9;#JY'mL{UrK-e ƣ]9rr5lUH=Hr &i^duv |NtIJ9$E('z 98}Z]4V_7ݜ, O\CdJO#km>CkMUuW ~#_)9Kr!_`Ԛ7c5ecTzTqNɓjV&Z*9T%GQVuROSTȃPj[ReWCPAqVfM$QzVC]O,M|9e4Wy뎣4M2sIJl.ћwEL{R+çC+2̐dGJ+?Դ ^%̟22HkB^[G1R0kDUɭjr7r\|7JB5 *Ēm*Pu[>vuWVS«c=Dy_ey494Btr>LkT3s$ج&a^E7&nW _PO\WKxZ|=Yy >($"-u kWUz9ȯ ÚtˋBrA^Oc6w zU^0:o_4vYpr[#I͜zTBboē[(FS' iV,%%-$@O>r|lKm,,,cVsurU%7,nfƾ5֩lx[U%Ҁƪ 슿 9n6)cZVկRقt \<ȾTUV)Z(y,NOE= .zW[@Zi14"/iɧߴHPFYAi}NesN 8PHAS `0 9jmcG>fIMSn޸f&p4&*Ex47HU^hPaIq*e+dTt׳H;"[*u{FkF}^j pjr1k=ǑY{7>&X&?oHU;>Ճķ_mwp zWu;$5iX4E-e9h_˭x5$/tDs_;@iI CSBzX*Bӵ +PC8ta+wKׄ6zW59(9MJX흩z'd91dbmq4;OvݞI#HE 騏<[c67 tCoL-CR2z׃W+>vqH*kQR &A)be97ڽg'$uB=GYCa.A*\:-?'Q$5$TEUQg)tE:ݏ+3@5 j{N1p 8=1W:7cP p}?j%#[|$ Y CŭNsjPZY&n@=RWC^m'\F9l*-jݴxzF61c*\yD:_9BL ֪J#M.A M b==dr++?oZ [KFpfAEx4>V@VUcd485*O9# =sҘzS⍲8{jZ ?uG Wh |-k+Q_+Mn@^c ʼn5lzMpǜ K ZoĖp2zzӰ#ѤIdC$U^'h֒œc^W/V rTGvUMV=3^5X@rP+GN^DZZkOh?^/sD"g&f6Z v4 ?Js'VXu+?( Y~Cיy3]HzSoh1cb[Ccqkq N ֶ"u×?^?1\hB:kc+Cyzfc ^95c(@QEQEQEQEQEQEQEQEx kvǗsteҼqg־{Fg|k@)VwD=Z%ZmRO)%PA8QEZ+ŞԼ%}=71NrA>ՁSpXA '}5G{?5TI AME ~!o[H?!_O~镋VQE(((((((B) `cZ;^/la#Lcr1_TW|uke£1"lu ~5Pvbg枍@"hGՋc– \[ۣAkwrͰ{0P>hkLg{JLEtCSFF 2V)ٔ|rx ? 9jlr> Q}Gj U'OCtuks@C2=łXWxvvVrorTGȊ5'`^> AHV3'⯕y=WzJ$^MʌHu#ūQ@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@|KH E @e%sV d;nQ7"jM Ѵ+m0$JhZQHaEPEPEPEPEPEPEPy will be successful. <br>Ben 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 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