Feb. 3, 2007
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Purdue University men's 60-meter hurdles record fell for the second time in as many weeks on Saturday as junior Keith Hopkins posted a time of 7.79 seconds to take first place at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational. Sophomore Mallory Peck also secured a victory for the Boilermaker track and field teams as she won the women's pole vault with a career-best effort.
Hopkins posted the top qualifying time Saturday morning, besting the field with a time of 7.91 seconds. He returned with the same strength in the finals, edging out Jeff Porter of Michigan by just .01 seconds to earn the win. Hopkins was joined in the finals by senior teammate, and former school record holder, Rickey Pinkney and fellow junior Brian Kaluf. Kaluf finished fifth with a time of 8.08 seconds, while Pinkney tied for sixth in 8.10 seconds.
Peck ran away with the pole vault title, defeating her closets competitors by over eight inches with a mark of 13-03.75 (4.06m). She had been knocking on the door of smashing her own career over the past two weeks, marking just shy of the height at the Indiana Invitational (3.95m/12-11/50) and tying it last weekend at the Gene Edmonds Cup (3.96m/12-11.75).
Senior Corrie Whisner shattered her season-best in the 3,000-meter run, completing the race in 9:31.62 to smash her previous best by more than 14 seconds. Her time was good for NCAA provisional qualification and eighth place overall, however she was the fifth-highest collegiate finisher with a professional athlete and two unattached runners in front of her. Sophomore Zach Logan raced to an 11th place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.02 seconds, just shy of NCAA provisional qualification.
Other top finishers for the Boilermakers included junior captain Leah Kincaid, sophomore Jh'Rome Tuggle and junior Tyler Miller. Kincaid followed Friday night's long jump victory with a second-place showing in the women's triple jump (12.41m/40-08.75) and a third-place finish in the women's 60-meter hurdles (8.33). She was joined in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles by senior teammate Lindsey Singleton, who placed 12th in 8.91 seconds. Tuggle grabbed sixth in the men's 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 21.88 seconds and falling just .61 seconds shy of his personal best, while Miller took home sixth in the shot put with a toss of 16.86 meters (55-03.75).
Senior captain Laura Farley cracked her personal best in the one-mile run, taking 12th place with a time of 4:55.13, while sophomore Nolan Petties and senior captain Rayland Currie took eighth and ninth, respectively, in the men's triple jump with matching marks of 14.59 meters (47-10.50).
The Boilermakers look to continue their impressive indoor campaign next weekend as they head to Ames, Iowa for the Iowa State Invitational.