April 22, 2003
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A Sort Of Homecoming: This weekend's meet marks the first time in nearly a month that the Boilermakers have competed on their home turf ... Purdue last competed at Rankin Track & Field on March 25-26 for the Purdue Invitational ... the Boilermakers' opponents for this weekend include Ball State, DePaul, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana, IPFW, Kent State, Marquette, Notre Dame and Valparaiso.
Here, There and Everywhere: The Boilermaker track teams split up three ways this weekend ... in addition to hosting the Boilermaker Invite, Purdue will send some athletes to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays ... another portion of the team will venture east for the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa.
Mt. San Antonio College Relays Recap: Selected members of the Purdue track and field team participated at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays held in Walnut, Calif. ... distance runner Kyle Orender placed third in the men's 5,000-meter run, finishing at 14:27.90 ... in the women's pole vault, Simona Kovacic captured third place with a mark of 3.65 meters (12-feet) ... Kovacic's counterpart Amy Spellmeyer finished 13th in the 18-member field ... Amber Ferner placed sixth in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:53.31) ... Shanna Carter placed 17th in the heptathlon with 4,424 points ... the women's 400-meter relay team of junior Shanna Carter, sophomore Gina Harvey, freshman LaShauna Harris and junior Krissy Liphardt placed ninth after a time of 47.12 ... Liphardt also competed in the 400-meter hurdles placing 12th with a time of 59.71.
Pomona Pitzer Invitational Recap: Senior Simona Kovacic took home top honors in the women's pole vault registering a height of 3.97 meters (13-1/4), a top-five mark in school history ... in the mixed 10,000-meter run, junior Robert Heise captured first place with a season-best time of 31:53.08 ... Shanette Stewart placed ninth in the 200 with a time of 25.19 ... teammate LaShauna Harris placed 12th after a 25.28 ... Ina Jackson placed 19th with a time of 25.69 ... freshman Ashley Kemp ran the event in 25.82 to place 20th ... Stewart, Jackson and Kemp each recorded season-best times ... Krissy Liphardt placed ninth in the 100 hurdles with a season-best time of 14.43 ... in the women's 400 hurdles, Liphardt ran the event with another season-best time of 60.91 to place third ... the 400 relay team of Shanna Carter, Gina Harvey, Harris and Liphardt placed fifth after a time of 47.35 ... in the 3000-meter men's steeplechase, David Rae placed second with a season-best time of 9:15.50 ... Pooh Williams took home second place in the men's pole vault after reaching a season-best mark of 16-8 3/4.
Indy Relays Recap: Purdue's day at the Indy Relays was highlighted by Tiffany Britten, Kern Woods, Scott Hecht and John Paul Smolenski, who each won their respective events ... Britten won the women's shot put after a toss of 13.63 meters (44-8 3/4) ... Woods won the men's long jump after a mark of 7.02 meters (23-1/2) ... teammate Matt Simmons placed fourth after a jump of 6.3 meters (20-8) ... Hecht won the men's shot put competition with a toss of 17.73 (58-2) ... Chris White captured second after a throw of 15.88 meters (52-1 1/4) ... Smolenski won the hammer throw after a heave of 60.53 meters (198-7) ... Hecht was the event's runner-up after a throw of 60.27 (197-8) ... White placed third after a discus toss of 46.60 ... Hecht placed fourth after a mark of 44.86 (147-2) ... the one day meet was held at Butler University.
What The Hecht?: Scott Hecht recorded another set of excellent performances at the Indy Relays ... for the fourth consecutive week, Hecht won the shot put, registering a distance of 17.73 meters (58-2) ... the junior also recorded a season and career best in the hammer with an effort of 60.27 meters (197-8) ... Hecht placed fourth in the discus at 44.86 meters (147-2) ... the native of Naperville, Ill. has qualified for NCAA Regionals in both the shot and hammer, and is very close to reaching the discus qualifying standard of 50.30 meters (165-0) ... his best discus launch of 50.01 meters (164-01) was recorded at the Purdue Invitational (3/28).
The 10,000 Meter Man: Robert Heise is 2-for-2 in the 10,000 meter run after collecting his second win of the season at the Pomona Pitzer Invitational ... Heise finished the grueling race with a season-best time of 31 minutes, 53.08 seconds ... Heise defeated over 30 male and female runners in the race at Pomona.
Super Simona: Simona Kovacic's winning pole vault of 13 feet, 1/4 inches at Pomona Pitzer was her second leap over the 13-foot mark this season ... Kovacic's push of 13-1 1/2 (4.0 meters) at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational (4/12) established new career and season bests for the senior ... her leap at Oxford is the second best in school history ... Kovacic is the first female Boilermaker to hover over the 13-foot barrier since Ebbie Metzinger reached a height of 13-7 1/4 (4.14 meters) in May of 2002 ... Kovacic, Metzinger and Amy Spellmeyer are the only females to fly over the 13-foot mark in the pole vault, indoor and outdoor.
A Veddy Britt-ish Victory: Tiffany Britten recorded her first triumph of the outdoor season Saturday in the shot put at the Indy Relays ... Britten's launch of 13.63 meters (44-8 3/4) was her second best of the season ... Britten placed fifth in the hammer throw at Indy with a toss of 44.26 meters (145-2), also her second best effort of the season.
Hence Reaches New Heights: Hence "Pooh" Williams reached a season best height of 5.10 meters (16-8 3/4) at the Pomona Pitzer Invitational ... Williams has steadily improved his leaps over the course of the season ... "Pooh", who has reached the regional qualifying mark in all four of his attempts, has improved by .2 meters (7 inches) since the start of the outdoor campaign.
2003 NCAA Regional Qualifiers
Athlete Event Time/Mark Meet (date)Angela Anoliefoh Javelin 43.46m Purdue Invitational (3/29)Kenneth Baxter 200 21.11 Sea Ray Relays (4/12) 4x100 39.50 Texas Relays (4/5)Amber Ferner 3,000 St. 10:49.75 Stanford Invitational (3/28)Jamar Green 4x100 39.50 Texas Relays (4/5) Long Jump 7.46m Texas Relays (4/5)Shaun Guice High Jump 2.15m Texas Relays (4/5)Scott Hecht Hammer Throw 60.27m Indy Relays (4/19) Shot Put 18.28m Sea Ray Relays (4/12)Igor Kirin Hammer Throw 60.52m Purdue Invitational (3/28)Simona Kovacic Pole Vault 4.00m Miami Invite (4/12)Krissy Liphardt 400 hurdles 59.71 Mt. SAC Relays (4/18)Keith McBride Hammer Throw 60.05m Purdue Invitational (3/28)Jacques Reeves 4x100 39.50 Texas Relays (4/5) 100 10.46 Texas Relays (4/5)Brian Smith Javelin 63.92m Texas Relays (4/5)J.P. Smolenski Hammer Throw 60.53m Indy Relays (4/19)Amy Spellmeyer Pole Vault 3.66m Miami Invite (4/12)Prentice Stovall 4x100 40.60 Purdue Invitational (3/29) 100 10.47 Texas Relays (4/5) 110 hurdles 14.00 Indy Relays (4/19)Derek Watkins High Jump 2.10m Texas Relays (4/5)Hence Williams Pole Vault 5.10m Pomona-Pitzer Invite (4/18)Big Ten "Athlete of the Week" Nominations3/30 Scott Hecht, Jr. - Throws3/30 Gina Harvey, So. - Sprints4/7 Prentice Stovall, Sr. - Sprints4/7 Gina Harvey, So. - Sprints4/14 Scott Hecht, Jr. - Throws4/14 Simona Kovacic, Sr. - Pole Vault4/21 Robert Heise, Sr. - Distance4/21 Simona Kovacic, Sr. - Pole Vault