Jan. 17, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue track and field teams will open the 2003 season on Saturday, Jan. 18, with the first home meet of the year at 10 a.m. in Lambert Fieldhouse. The Purdue Invitational will feature the Boilermakers, Ball State men and women, Central State (Ohio) men and women, Pioneer Track Club of Texas, Progressive Track Club of Texas, Indiana Invaders Track Club, Dayton women, Goshen College men, and several unattached individuals.
"This year's meet is quite a bit smaller than last year's, which was an open," said Purdue head coach Lissa Olson. "There were at least double the amount of athletes that will be there on Saturday, but we've really tried to bring in quality competitors over quantity. We've limited the meet to Division I schools only and a few unattached people or track clubs which we feel really increase the talent of the field we will have here.
"The purpose of this weekend really is to have a starting point to the season," Olson added. "We've gotten back to school this past week and the athletes have resumed their structured training. Some will compete at a very high level, while others will be a little rusty because they didn't have much of a chance to train over the break. But we'll see where we are. Athletes love competing, and this meet should bring that adrenaline back into their systems. I know that the coaches are excited about this weekend, as well."
The Boilermakers open the season with excitement that hangs from the end of the 2002 season. On the women's side, NCAA qualifiers Kim Jordan (800m), Simona Kovacic (pole vault) and Lindsay Zinn (3,000m) all return to the roster for the 2003 season, and the team returns with several strong freshman that should help improve upon a fourth-place Big Ten finish. For the men, Shaun Guice (high jump), Keith McBride (weight throw), Nedzad Mulabegovic (shot put), Prentice Stovall (60m) and Hence "Pooh" Williams (pole vault) all return, while several freshmen will look to contribute to the season and improve on the third-place finish that eluded the Boilermakers at the Big Ten Championships, due to the early cancellation of the meet.
"This weekend's meet is a perfect chance for us to start preparing for the next meet," said Olson. "It gives us a chance to compete at home, get the jitters out and get used to the surroundings again before we have a really intensely competitive meet against Indiana and Ohio State next week."
Following this weekend, the Boilermakers will host Indiana and Ohio State in a Big Ten double-dual meet at Lambert Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 25. The meet will start at 10 a.m., with the throwing events starting at about 9 a.m.
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