June 13, 2008
Purdue junior Mallory Peck took home 12th place in the women's pole vault on Friday at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Peck is the Boilermakers' highest placer so far this year, and was one of two Purdue athletes to reach the finals of her respective event.
Peck cleared 3.90 meters (12-09.50) on the day, and was one of 12 competitors to clear the final's opening height. After failing to reach the bar on her first attempt of the evening, Peck cleared 3.90 meters on her second try and advanced to the second round of jumps. She suffered the same fate on her first attempt at 4.00 meters (13-01.50), not reaching the bar, and knocked the clearance bar off the following two tries to bow out of the competition.
The effort was her third try in an NCAA Championship final as she took home All-America honors at the 2007 and 2008 indoor championships. Fellow junior Kara Patterson will complete the Boilermakers' efforts tomorrow as she looks to become Purdue's second straight women's javelin NCAA Champion and third national champ in the last decade. Patterson will try and put the Purdue women on the scoreboard tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. (CST).