Feb. 8, 2008
Solid Warm-up
The Purdue track and field teams got off to a solid start at the 21st annual Meyo Invitational on Friday.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams got off to a solid start at the 21st annual Meyo Invitational, hosted by the University of Notre Dame on Friday. The Boilermakers saw one of the top times in school history and a first-place showing by the men's distance medley relay team.
Purdue senior Jh'Rome Tuggle clocked the fourth-fastest men's 300-meter dash time in school history, crossing the line in 33.73 to take second place overall. The Boilermakers also put up the second-fastest distance medley relay time in the Big Ten this year, winning the contest in 10:03.04. The Purdue men also got outstanding showings from juniors Nolan Petties and Ben Harpenau and sophomore Jonathan Pullum. Petties placed fourth in the long jump with a season-best mark of 7.34 meters (24-01.00). The leap leaves him just 16 centimeters shy of the NCAA provisional standard. Pullum and Harpenau placed second and fourth, respectively, in the weight throw as Pullum marked 19.72 meters (64-08.50) and Harpenau threw 18.77 meters (61-07.00).
Senior Astin Steward led the Purdue women's efforts, placing second in the weight throw with a toss of 19.53 meters (64-01.00). Sophomore Stacey Wannemacher chipped in just behind Steward, earning sixth with a mark of 17.37 meters (57-00.00). Fellow sophomore Sarah Grabowski turned in a career-best height in the high jump, clearing 1.63 meters (5-04.25), and the women's distance medley relay team posted a solid time of 11:36.06, just missing NCAA provisional qualification and earning sixth overall.
The Boilermakers resume action tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. with the women's 3,000-meter run.