April 17, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Indy Relays belonged to Purdue through Saturday's competitions, as all of its high jumpers and pole vaulters finished among the top three. Tiffany Colvin and Carrie Long shared one high jump title, while Brian Hoying won his outright. Andy Bodey took top honors in the men's pole vault, however, Jocelyn Lindsay and Megan Darraugh could not best former Boilermaker Ebbie Metzinger in the women's vault.
Colvin and Long led a three-place Purdue sweep in the high jump, each finishing with a top height of 5-feet, 8 inches (1.73 meters). That mark, which qualified both for NCAA Mideast Regionals, is a season-best for Long and tied Colvin's top effort from the Purdue Invitational on March 27. Laura Stier received third-place honors with a season-best leap of 5-5 3/4.
Hoying's top height of 6-7 1/2 (2.02) tied Notre Dame's Chris Staron's best leap; however, Hoying was given the top prize for recording fewer misses than his in-state rival.
Bodey, competing in his first outdoor meet of the season, reached a regional qualifying height of 16-4 3/4 (5.00) to win the pole vault title. A transfer from IPFW, Bodey finished 10-3/4 inches higher than teammate runner-up, John Porter, who reached a season-best height of 15-6. Porter's previous best was 14-11, which he recorded at the Ohio State Relays on April 3.
Lindsay posted a personal best of 13-1 1/2 (4.00) in her pole vault competition, but it wasn't high enough to reach Metzinger, who finished at 13-7 1/4 (4.15). Metzinger's height matched her Purdue varsity record, which she originally recorded against Indiana on May 5, 2002.
Darraugh was slightly down from the regional qualifying performance she handed at last weekend's Miami Invitational, although she managed to tie for third with her leap of 12-0 (13.66). At the Oxford, Ohio-based meet, Darraugh reached the qualifying standard of 13-1 1/2 (4.00).
Elsewhere in the field, Courtney Magnuson topped the hammer throw standings with her personal record launch of 184-2 (56.15). Her previous best was measured at 182-2, which she registered during last year's Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Minneapolis.
The Boilermakers scored plenty of wins on the track, as well. Perhaps inspired by teammate Amber Ferner's performance Friday night at the Mt. SAC Relays, Kaleena Cappel won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:12.27; also Jon Hoggatt won the 800 in 1:54.52, and in the 200-meter dash, Dedrick Tillerson recorded a season-best of 21.43.
Runner-up honors went to Gina Harvey in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes, Tillerson in the 400, Astin Steward in the discus, J.P. Smolenski the hammer throw and Rayland Currie in the triple jump.
The Boilermakers return home to Rankin Track and Field next weekend (April 23 - 24) for the Big Ten Preview Invitational. Friday's competitions begin at 3 p.m. and Saturday's action starts at 10 a.m. In addition to playing host to this meet, select members of the Old Gold and Black will compete at the prestigious Penn and Drake Relays.