May 12, 2007
Results | Photo Gallery 
| Highlights
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior Lindsey Blaine, junior Sheena James and freshman Jon Pullum all picked up gold medals for the Purdue University men's and women's track and field teams at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, hosted by Penn State University on Saturday. After two days the men sit in fifth place with 30 points, while the women are second with 43 points.
Blaine set a career-record of 51.81 meters (170-00) in the women's javelin to defeat defending champion Ruby Radocaj of Minnesota; James captured the women's shot put crown with a massive toss of 15.98 meters (52-05.25); and Pullum topped the men's discus field with a personal record throw of 54.15 meters (177-08). Freshman Stacey Wannemacher and junior Tyler Miller added respective support in each event as Wannemacher placed fifth in the women's shot put with a mark of 14.81 meters (48-07.25), and Miller grabbed eighth in the men's discus, tying his season-best mark of 48.13 meters (157-11).
Junior captain Leah Kincaid set a new Purdue school record in the women's long jump as she leaped 6.31 meters (20-08.50) to take home the silver medal and grab eight team points.
Junior Nolan Petties picked up a pair of team points for the Boilermakers in the men's long jump, leaping a career-best 7.43 meters (24-04.50) to place seventh. The distance adds his second NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying mark and the Boilers' 32nd of the season. Freshmen Adetayo Adesanya and Lance Moe placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the men's high jump as Adesanya cleared 2.06 meters (6-09), while Moe marked 2.02 meters (6-07.50).
Purdue advanced a combined 12 runners to tomorrow's men's and women's track finals, which are all eligible to score points towards the teams' respective totals. Senior Rickey Pinkney and juniors Jh'Rome Tuggle and Brian Kaluf will race in the final heat of a pair of events, as Pinkney finished in the top nine in the men's 100-meter dash and 110-meter high hurdles, Tuggle moved on to the finals in the 200- and 400-meter dashes and Kaluf qualified in the 110- and 400-meter high hurdles Joining Pinkney and Kaluf n the 110-hurdle finals is junior teammate Keith Hopkins, who posted the No. 2 time in the event at 14.22.
On the women's side, seniors Corrie Whisner and Laura Farley are set for tomorrow's 1,500-meter run final, while Kincaid and sophomore Ranay Harvey made the final nine of the 100-meter hurdles. Harvey notched the Boilers' 33rd regional qualifier as she advanced to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles as well.
Both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay squads advanced to tomorrow's finals as the men clocked a 40.95, while the women ran a 47.49.
The final day of competition is set to kick off tomorrow at 11:40 a.m. with the women's triple jump, which will be followed closely by the women's discus at 11:45 a.m.