April 5, 2008
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams capitalized on outstanding weather and a solid return of Boilermaker alumni on Saturday, adding seven NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying marks to their team total at the Mike Poehlein Invitational. The Boilermakers now have earned 27 regional bids on the season, and are now just seven shy of last year's total after just two outdoor meets.
The Boilermakers hosted more than 50 track and field alumni at the event, ranging from six athletes from the 1940s, to 2007 graduates Rickey Pinkney and Corrie Whisner. The group included long-time Purdue coach and meet honoree Mike Poehlein.
Junior Kara Patterson exceeded the United States Olympic Trials and NCAA regional qualifying marks for the second straight week, hurling the javelin 53.04 meters (174-00), which is the second longest in the country this year. She is now just 1.46 meters shy of the automatic qualifying mark for the U.S. Olympic trials.
Junior Ranay Harvey earned regional qualification for the second-straight year in the women's 100- and 400-meter hurdles, clocking a career-best time of 13.73 in the 100 and pacing the field in the 400 with a time of 1:00.79. Her 400-meter time was just 0.04 seconds shy of her career-best.
Sophomore Christina Madison became the third Boilermaker woman to earn NCAA Regional qualification in two events this season, winning the triple jump with a career-best mark of 12.38 meters (40-07.50). She qualified in the women's long jump last weekend at Arizona State.
Junior Nolan Petties added his second regional qualifier of the season as well, marking 7.44 meters (24-05.00) in the men's long jump. The jump is a new outdoor career-best for Petties. He also improved his outdoor-career best in the triple jump, marking 15.34 meters (50-04.00). Freshman Billy Hardcastle was the Purdue men's second double qualifier of the day, winning the discus throw with a throw of 52.14 meters (171-01). Hardcastle tossed a career-best 53.40 meters (175-02) to take third in the hammer throw as well.
Sophomores Adetayo Adesanya and Lance Moe cleared the NCAA regional standard in the men's high jump as Adesanya won the event with an outdoor career-best 2.14 meters (7-00.25), while Moe matched his career-best at 2.10 meters (6-10.75). The Boilermakers locked up their fourth regional qualifier in the men's pole vault as senior Andrew Radmacher matched teammates Ben Pax's and Chris Thoman's vault from last weekend, clearing 5.05 meters (16-06.75).
Senior Leah Kincaid extended her NCAA regional qualifying mark in the women's long jump, winning the event with a leap of 6.26 meters (20-06.50). Her mark was just five centimeters short of her school record in the event and is the fourth best in the nation so far this season. She also improved her season-best mark in the 100-meter hurdles, winning that race with a time of 13.54. Junior Mallory Peck increased her career-best in the women's pole vault, topping the field with a height of 4.11 meters (13-05.75).
Junior Ben Harpenau launched the fourth-best hammer throw mark in Purdue history, marking a career-best 64.22 meters (210-09). His throw was good for first-place on the day and is the fifth-longest throw in the country heading into this weekend.
Freshman Matt De Silva ran the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time in his career, winning the race with a time of 9:32.38. Senior Jh'Rome Tuggle won the men's 200-meter dash with a time of 21.77, while fellow senior Brian Kaluf won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.39 and junior Stephen Bach topped the men's 800-meter run in 1:54.61. Senior Jim Schwingendorf and sophomore Steve Carlson came home first and second in the men's javelin throw, marking 59.72 meters (195-11) and 58.26 meters (191-02), respectively.
The Boilermakers continue their outdoor campaign next weekend, heading to Athens, Ga. for the Spec Towns National Team Invitational.