March 15, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Purdue's Jonathan Pullum and Mallory Peck joined teammate Astin Steward with NCAA Indoor Track and Field All-American honors on Saturday. Pullum placed in the men's 35-pound weight throw, while Peck climbed the podium in the women's pole vault at the national championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas.
After senior teammate Astin Steward claimed third place and earned national recognition in the women's weight throw yesterday, Pullum became the 23rd man in Purdue history to claim NCAA Indoor All-America honors, placing fourth in the men's 35-pound weight throw with a mark of 22.02 meters (72-03.00). Pullum's mark is the second-best in Purdue's history, falling just two centimeters shy of the all-time mark of 22.04 meters. He is the fourth weight throw All-American in Purdue men's track and field history, joining Keith McBride (2004), Scott Hecht (2004) and Chris Brown (2000).
With Pullum and Steward both scoring in the men's and women's weight throws, this weekend marks just the fourth time in Purdue's history a Boilermaker man and woman earned All-America honors in the same event. Boilermaker greats Rod Woodson and Alicia Bass both placed in the 55-meter hurdles in 1985, and Shaun Guice and Carri Long found a spot in the top-eight in the high jump at both the indoor and outdoor national meets in 2000.
Peck followed with her second-straight NCAA Indoor All-America award, becoming just the seventh female in school history to earn back-to-back national recognition in the same event. The Boilermaker junior cleared a career-best 4.20 meters (13-09.25) to place sixth in the pole vault, improving her second-best mark in school history.
The Purdue women secured their highest national indoor finish since 2000, tying for 22nd overall with nine team points, while the men tied for 44th in the country with five points, their best showing since 2003.
Arizona State University captured both the men's and women's team titles, amassing 44 points on the men's side and 51 points on the women's. Florida State University fell just shy in the men's race with 41 points, while Louisiana State University was the women's runner-up with 43 points.