March 26, 2005
CLEMSON, S.C. - Two Boilermakers claimed individual victories Saturday at the Clemson Relays, as Purdue finished the first meet of its outdoor track and field season on a positive note.
Senior David Rae earned top honors in the men's 5000-meter run with a time of 14:54.65. The Naperville, Ill., native finished nearly 30 seconds ahead of his closest competitor.
Derek Watkins claimed the second Boilermakers victory. His high jump of 2.10 meters (6 feet, 10.75 inches) not only earned him the win, but a spot at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, as well.
Other notable performances for Purdue included the 4x100 meter relay team of Kenneth Baxter, Frank Duong, Rickey Pinkney and Alfred Woods. The group's time of 41.12 gave them a second-place finish.
This is Baxter's final season as a Boilermaker. The All-American missed all of last year's outdoor season due to injury and sat out the indoor season because he was out of eligibility. Competing as an individual Saturday, Baxter was third in the 100-meter dash at 10.67 seconds, missing the regional qualifying standard by just .17 seconds.
On the women's side, Purdue's throwing squad provided the biggest contribution. The duo of Courtney Magnuson and Astin Steward finished second and fourth in the hammer throw. Their marks of 58.95 (193-05) and 54.19 (177-09) earned them both regional qualifying distinctions.
LaShauna Harris and Carrie Fett provided additional support for the women's squad. Harris claimed fourth place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.25, while Fett recorded a time of 18:26.56 in the 5,000-meter run to earn third-place recognition.
Purdue returns to action Friday, April 1, at 4 p.m. with the home-opening Mike Poehlein Invitational. The Boilermakers' outdoor home meets take place at Rankin Track and Field.