April 3, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After enduring cool temperatures at last weekend's season-opening Purdue Invitational, 11 of the Boilermakers' finest head south Thursday to the University of Texas for the 76th edition of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The Old Gold and Black can expect warmer temperatures and tougher competition in Austin with nearly 5,000 athletes scheduled to compete in 125 events.
This year's field features Olympic gold medalists Maurice Greene, Tim Montgomery, Jon Drummond, Inger Miller and Chryste Gaines in addition to some of the nation's finest amateur athletes, including several NCAA champions and national high school record holders.
The Boilermaker corps includes 2003 NCAA Indoor Championship participants Kenneth Baxter, Shaun Guice, Jamar Green and Hence "Pooh" Williams, as well as Jacques Reeves, Prentice Stovall, Derek Watkins, Brian Smith, Kristin Liphardt, Amy Spellmeyer and Simona Kovacic.
Baxter, Reeves, Green and Stovall will be pulling double duty for Purdue, competing in both the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays. The speedy quartet recently qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship meet at Saturday's Purdue Invite recording a first-place time of 40.60 seconds.
Guice, recently selected as the WLFI TV-18 "March Athlete of the Month," solidified his spot in the Purdue track and field annals after becoming the first male Boilermaker athlete to earn All-America status at four consecutive indoor championship meets. He will attempt to collect a seventh All-America title during the outdoor championships in June.
Guice was one of several Purdue athletes to qualify for regionals last weekend. The native of Lima, Ohio, reached a height of 2.13 meters in the high jump. Watkins, who placed third in the high jump at the Purdue Invite (1.98), will accompany Guice in this event.
The Boilermakers also have a dual threat in the women's pole vault with Spellmeyer and Kovacic. The Old Gold and Black tandem finished third and fourth, respectively, at the Purdue Invitational as both jumpers reached a height of 3.35.
Williams will represent Purdue in the men's pole vault. The senior, who hit the regional qualifying mark of 4.90 at Saturday's meet, finished tenth at the NCAA Indoor Championships (5.18). Also in the field for the Boilermakers will be Green in the long jump and Smith in the javelin throw. Smith qualified for regionals after launching the javelin 62.77.
Purdue's lone individual runner is Liphardt, who will compete in the 400 hurdles. Liphardt had a solid day at the Purdue Invite, finishing first in the 100 hurdles (14.69) and second in the 400 hurdles (1:05.77).
The remainder of the Boilermaker squad will be in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday for the Ohio State Relays. The meet begins at 11 a.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and will also feature competitors from Miami (Ohio), West Virginia, Malone, Ashland and Dayton.
Complete coverage of the Texas Relays can be accessed through www.texassports.com. Results from Ohio State can be found at www.deltatiming.com/flash/osu.htm by clicking on the Ohio State Relays link. Purdue sports information will provide a nightly recap at www.purduesports.com at the end of each day's events.