May 11, 2003
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With many Purdue track and field athletes unable to attend Mother's Day festivities, a number of them opted to give performances at Sunday's Billy Hayes Invitational, which would make their mommas proud.
Likely among the proudest Boilermaker moms is Mrs. Estell Baxter, whose son Kenneth, recorded victories in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. The four mothers of the women's 4x100 meter relay team have to be proud as well, after their daughters all qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships.
The 4x100 team of LaShauna Harris, Shanna Carter, Shanette Stewart and Krissy Liphardt placed second behind host Indiana with a time of 46.17 seconds, which slid them right under the regional qualifying mark of 46.20. The team's previous season best of 47.04 was clocked a month ago at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational.
Liphardt, a regional qualifier in the 400 hurdles, helped pick up the Purdue women's lone win Sunday with the 4x400 team of Ina Jackson, Gina Harvey and Kim Jordan. The Boilermaker squad's winning time was 3:50.83.
Baxter's times were not only good enough for first place, but his 100 time of 10.72 tied a season best and his 200 mark of 20.86 established a career best. The junior's previous career best of 21.11 was recorded at the Sea Ray Relays in April, where he also clocked his duplicate 100 time (10.72).
Placing right behind Baxter in the 100 were teammates Jerod Void and Joey Harris, giving the Boilermakers a three-way sweep. Void came across the line in 10.73 and Harris finished at 10.80.
Prentice Stovall's (21.08) and Jamar Green's (21.12) third and fourth place times in the 200 qualified them for regionals alongside Baxter. Stovall is scheduled to compete in four events at the regional championships including the 4x100, 100 and the 110 hurdles. Green also will have a difficult workload at the two-day regional meet, competing in the 200, 4x100 and long jump.
Stovall picked up his second consecutive victory in the 110 hurdles Sunday finishing in 14.00. His mark tied a career best, which he originally set at the Indy Relays on April 19.
Other Boilermakers finding success on their archrivals track and field included Scott Hecht, who won his fifth shot put title of the season (17.60, 57-9) and Shaun Guice, who recorded a winning leap of 2.11 (6-11) in the high jump.
Pooh Williams and John Paul Smolenski earned a bronze medal in their respective events. Williams reached a height of 5.0 (16-4 3/4) in the pole vault, and Smolenski launched a career best hammer throw of 61.98 (203-4). Smolenski's effort keeps him at fourth place on the Boilermakers' all-time top performances list, behind Chris Brown and teammates Keith McBride and Igor Kirin.
The Purdue women copped a few second-place finishes of their own in Bloomington. Courtney Magnuson finished runner-up in the hammer throw with an effort of 52.91 (173-7) and Simona Kovacic placed behind former Boilermaker Ebbie Metzinger in the pole vault at 3.82 (12-6 1/4).
Metzinger, a member of the Indiana Invaders club team, broke the Hoosier's track record with her winning vault of 3.98 (13-0 3/4). The old mark of 3.96 (12-11 3/4) was previously held by Purdue's Katie Meyer. The Invaders also collected a win in the high jump from Boilermaker assistant coach Carri Long, who reached a height of 1.78 (5-10).
Sunday's Billy Hayes Invitational was the final training session for the Boilermakers as they prepare for next weekend's Big Ten Championships. This season's conference meet is being held at the University of Minnesota from May 16 - 18. Full-session tickets are currently available through Minnesota's athletic department web site at www.gogophers.com.