May 26, 2007
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Purdue University men's and women's track and field teams earned six automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the women scored 32 points and the men tallied 14.5 points at the NCAA Mideast Regionals, hosted by the University of Missouri on Friday and Saturday.
The women's total is 5.5 points better than their 2006 total, while the men placed in a trio of events after not scoring a point last season.
Junior Astin Steward claimed her second school record of the season, taking home fourth place in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 61.79 meters (202-09). Her toss broke the previous Purdue mark, held by Courtney Magnuson since 2005, by more than a meter and secures a trip to the national championships in two weeks. She later captured the women's discus throw championship with a toss of 53.22 meters (174-07), becoming the only Boilermaker to qualify for the NCAA Championships in two events.
Fellow junior Keith Hopkins locked up his spot at the NCAA Championships, placing fourth in the men's 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.76, while classmate Jh'Rome Tuggle finished just outside of the automatic qualifiers in the men's 200-meter dash, earning sixth with a time of 21.03
Friday's automatic qualifiers included senior Lindsey Blaine, who won the women's javelin, sophomore Eric Sparks, who claimed fourth in the men's pole vault, and freshman Stacey Wannemacher, who marked fifth in the women's shot put. All three posted personal records in their respective events.
Several athletes remain eligible for an at-large bid to the national championships, which will be announced on Tuesday at www.ncaasports.com. The 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships are scheduled for June 6-9 in Sacramento, Ca.