Feb. 25, 2006
MADISON, Wis. - The Boilermaker women's track and field team racked up 27 points on Day 1 of the Big Ten Championships, placing five athletes and a relay team among the top eight in four events. That point total, which ranks Purdue fourth after Day 1, matches the team's final tally from the 2005 championships.
The Boilermaker pole vaulters got things rolling for the team, posting three top five finishes in the event. Freshman Mallory Peck (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and senior Jocelyn Lindsay (Waynesburg, Pa.) tied for third with a clearance of 12-8 (3.86 meters), while freshman Brianna Neumann (Fort Wayne, Ind.) placed fifth, also clearing 12-8. The mark was a personal best for Peck. Senior Meghan Darraugh (Lake Bluff, Ill.) finished just out of the top eight in ninth with a personal best clearance of 12-2 (3.71m). Four competitors cleared the bar at 12-8, while six athletes topped out with clearances of 12-2.
Sophomore Leah Kincaid (Springfield, Ill.) finished just outside the medals in the long jump, taking fourth with a leap of 19-4 ¾ (5.91m). Kincaid also qualified for the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.48 seconds, the third best clocking in the preliminary heats.
The distance medley relay team finished fifth with a clocking of 11:46.72, while sophomore Sheena James (Clinton, Iowa) placed sixth in the shot put with a heave of 48-11 ½ (14.92m). James had posted the sixth-best mark in the Big Ten prior to the championships.
Junior Lindsey Singleton (Wheatfield, Ind.) finished ninth in the pentathlon with a total of 3,512 points, just 36 points out of scoring position. She tied her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles with a clocking of 8.95 seconds, while improving on her 11th-place overall finish from the 2005 championships.
Junior Corrie Whisner (West Chester, Ohio) advanced to Sunday's final of the mile run, posting a time of 4:56.45 in the preliminary heats, the eighth best overall time.
Senior Brooke Woodruff (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) and junior Laura Farley (Indianapolis, Ind.) earned spots in the 800-meter run finals with their performances in Saturday's preliminary heats. Woodruff boasts the fourth-best time (2:12.18) entering the finals, while Farley's time of 2:13.25 ranks eighth among qualifiers.
The Boilermakers stand in fourth place overall with 27 points after Day 1 of the championships. Minnesota leads with 51 points, followed by Michigan (41.5) and Wisconsin (32.5).
Day 2 of the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday with the weight throw competition.