JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?֍xu.j!7?n¿?pտ? Jo]tU(ͤJ?+S [ TVQYY TV¿?pտ?wQd8WףC븢k ¿?pտ?O5o]{YC~z(,pO5oG+S [q\ۅuE$l z),Q~z?_8jߟ^( #~z?_8jߟ^( ?+S [ TVQGX_8jߟ^W׮= TV¿?pտ?wQdTá꧸?J' if|̇+WE%RREP BG/ x[KEtO %7 %7ⳭF8-QY )N1k[(e*+2FI@AJZ;_XY٤)^G޾((4(FA7VgN;ւV-?߆#=?S_)M3Lŝسܞh[sgc_]ʫ QW+?  i{d')V ^q #U$zzU&(?mec#$-By{q]]PѬ-.g`C:.֯EP BG/ x[KEtO %7 %7ⳭF8-QY >'(orxW=C^ .92񧏢i]WH''Wt/)pX1ybo۷}wI47WsUTyYF>ѵ-{NNfpñkB|5ENTy1F77s֠)(h8Ay|xmy"i]I#Hؐ0\o7=c_, B2~,H澪EΛ2vEWRsA_9xJhFU 'Wc@-c4QEB$Q B]+Do5 M+o5 M+; EVC彻np}@PREQEp-o -|B$WJ=D[ _SJ+[ _SJ+:cEƲB2iźD|~>$4Aalg=:6U8S gFBal1cO{=2:Z)(Gos\!R}2[I$y"mbV?qE} s~ #|eV0A_9Q@xᴱ<H|9緵l\߃_8ս7M⳱TQ@Fi=_Egbs\JUݫ3|pjSM]QEQEp-o -|B$WJ=D[ _SJ+<Cm+mmBW WW ¦$=a_Q ²s;~cЌW]|vckG Wm X~ſ{9 >\+uhSlp>YPI8/  4K0L [G,? b =рZa_Q g>tt—q|)@;_ ŸM;1o/A(s ŸM_|+sfom+ yǦj,? b ?a_Q.tW7 X~ſ{9 X~ſ-_ϰ]%-_1o}!o IhxHu G_Er(QWrј>bX6U<74?r7ӎkGQbm.Dlp ޼ VQ𑃴s5Th{DCz7m8mUN]MF`G{R5"*zU5}vf5"(kDEVs>f5"(kDEVs>f5"(kDEVs>f5"(kDEVs>f5"(kDEVs>f"H$NUPqEiQG3 \.mQ"3X024ؖ}s䓞xHUw-$wo:BHʶs:/ Ab4K9q 8K9|hsKSu"S?#VfMi|xX mRֹ'V'y\\}FRL+Jm:ԼmˑL ܢ1oji{Ҵn61cV5-O6Wʑ1c'=i@#/&m=J(((((((٩Jtz)yEN=)p3=h&?hsM=}h ~uV wb b2sPl[y6 Us[cH瞔5&sٝ<JҶt@ 3YG${FB)ҨMJ:j0sЎiv~7=)p3ƐүA@(@TH`H{PYAm\g9;ؤ`tP 1R~A#={ÃK?"o!b@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