Feb. 27, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker track and field squads are wrapping up their 2004 indoor seasons this weekend at their respective Big Ten Championship meets. The men's team will be competing at the University of Michigan, while the women head west to the University of Iowa. Both meets run Saturday through Sunday, Feb. 28 to 29.
The Boilermaker men have been close to winning the indoor Big Ten team championship the last three seasons, finishing third in 2002 and 2003 and runner-up in 2001. This season, they will look to get over that hump, riding on the shoulders of Scott Hecht and All-Americans Kenneth Baxter, Keith McBride and Nedzad Mulabegovic. The team enters the Big Ten Championships ranked 13th in the nation.
Baxter, a two-time All-American in the 200-meter dash, is the conference's defending champion in his signature event. He is recognized by Trackwire as one of the country's top 12 competitors in the 200 and 60-meter dash, with a No. 9 ranking in the 200 and No. 10 ranking in the 60. This season, Baxter has won three major titles in the 60 and two in the 200. He won both races at the Ohio State Triangular, and the 60 in front of his hometown crowd at the N.Y. Armory.
Purdue's throwers have become the centerpiece of this season's team. In addition to carrying two All-Americans on its roster, the throwers also boast the versatile Hecht, as well as weight throwers Igor Kirin and John Paul Smolenski. Hecht has succeeded in both the shot put and weight throw competitions this year, piling up several provisional marks in the weight. He has yet to win a shot put title in 2004, but has fared well in major competitions at the Armory, Ohio State and Nebraska. Hecht is ranked third in the weight throw, just ahead of McBride.
McBride is still the team's No. 1 competitor in the weight throw regardless of the rankings. He has produced two NCAA automatic qualifying marks, breaking the school record in the process. McBride's varsity record throw was recorded at Ohio State and landed at the 72 feet, 3 3/4 inch mark.
Every shot attempt Mulabegovic has thrown this season, its either landed past the NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying mark. He's accomplished this feat four times this season, losing only once. Mulabegovic's lone set back was at the Ohio State Triangular, finishing runner-up to the Buckeye's Dan Taylor, who is highly regarded as one of the top throwers in the world.
The team's four nationally ranked talents are supported by a stable of newcomers, who have held their own during the opening months of the season. Among the team's top rookies are Terrell Thompson, Tyler Miller, John Porter, Brian Hoying and John Lampert.
On the women's side, Purdue looks to return to the top of the conference standings after a two-year absence. The Boilermakers won the indoor championships in 2001, but dropped to fourth in 2002 and to eighth in 2003; it was Purdue's lowest finish at indoors since 1997.
The Boilermakers' chances to improve are bolstered by their premier throwing trio of Tiffany Britten, Courtney Magnuson and Astin Steward. Magnuson and Steward are a top-eight scoring threat in the weight throw, while Britten is capable of scoring in the shot put and weight throw. Britten is seeded fifth in the shot put, carrying a top effort of 50-feet, 9 1/4 inches (15.47 meters).
Other scoring threats from the field include freshman Tiffany Colvin in the high jump and Jocelyn Lindsay and Megan Darraugh in the pole vault. Colvin is the No. 6 seed in her event, having reached a top height of 5-7 3/4 against Indiana State.
Purdue has had a great tradition of pole vaulters in recent years, winning four of the last five indoor titles. Kierstin Doyle won the title in 1999, and then Amy Spellmeyer, Ebbie Metzinger and Simona Kovacic won from 2001 to 2003. Lindsay and Darraugh are the Boilermakers' best options for continuing this trend as they enter with top heights of 12-7 1/2 and 12-3 1/2. Lindsay is seeded third in this event behind Penn State's Sara Dougherty and Minnesota's Monica Stearns.
On the track, Purdue has been boosted by the returns of T'Nita Waters and Lindsay Zinn, both of whom missed all of last season due to injury. Waters paid immediate dividends, clocking one of the three fastest times in school history in the 60-meter dash at the season-opening Purdue Invitational.
Zinn has won several distance races, including the 3,000 title at the Ohio State Triangular. The Boilermakers possess great depth through the middle distance and distance races; these units are anchored by several talented individuals, including former indoor 800 champion Kim Jordan, as well as Kelly Van Abeele, Kara Lahey and Amber Ferner.