April 19, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams pushed through dreary weather and a bit of rain to notch some of their best marks of the season at the second-annual Dave Rankin Invitational, hosted by the Boilermakers on Saturday. The Old Gold and Black added their 32nd NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying mark of the season, setting a new school record for regional qualifiers.
Freshman Tara Turnbull cleared a huge personal record and qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regionals with a mark of 4.00 meters (13-03.75) in the women's pole vault. Her mark is tied for 17th in the country, the third highest in the Big Ten this season and is tied for the fourth highest in Purdue's outdoor history.
Sophomore Stacey Wannemacher will now compete in two events at the regional championships after hurling a career-best 50.10 meters () to win the women's discus. The throw is the fifth best in Purdue history and the fourth best in the conference this year. She topped the women's shot put as well, hurling it 15.16 meters (49-09.00), as the Purdue women have 14 regional marks for the season.
Senior Brian Kaluf added his second regional mark of the season for the Boilermaker men, completing the 400-meter hurdles in a career-best 52.09. Kaluf also won the men's 110-meter hurdles with a new season and career best of 14.20. The Purdue men have now surpassed 18 regional standards.
Sophomore Eric Sparks launched himself up the national leader-list in the men's pole vault, clearing a career-best 5.30 meters (17-04.50). His jump is the ninth-highest in the country this season and the second-best in the Big Ten. Freshman Billy Hardcastle improved his top collegiate mark as well, placing second in the men's shot put with a throw of 17.80 meters (58-04.75).
Boilermaker sophomore Steve Carlson barely missed the NCAA Regional standard and set a new personal record, throwing the javelin 60.97 meters (200-00) for first place. Rookie Matt De Silva notched a personal record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossing the line first in 9:18.72. Sophomore Lance Moe matched the regional standard and his career best in the men's high jump for the third straight meet, clearing 2.10 meters (6-10.75). Fellow second-year Reese Byerrum captured the men's 800-meter run, posting a career-best time of 1:53.51.
Sophomore Christina Madison won the women's long jump with a leap of 5.88 meters (19-03.50) and senior teammate Astin Steward took home the hammer throw title with a toss of 58.22 meters (191-00). Sophomore Kristin Phillips clocked a career-best time of 4:32:02 to win the women's 1,500-meter run.
Both the Boilermakers' men's and women's 4x400-meter relay teams placed first, crossing the line with respective times of 3:14.35 and 3:52.26.
A pair of Rankin Track and Field records fell on Saturday as Idaho's Russ Winger set new facility marks in the men's shot put and discus. He tossed the shot put 20.36 meters (66-09.75), and threw the discus 60.20 meters (197-06).
The Boilermakers return to action next weekend, sending several competitors to the prestigious Penn Relays, while the remainder of the squad with head to Butler University.