Feb. 14, 2009
AMES, Iowa - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams had a solid first day of competition at the Iowa State Classic, hosted by the Cyclones in Lied Recreational Center on Friday. The Boilermakers placed in five different events on the night, led by the men's distance medley relay squad, which took fourth with a season-best time.
Sophomores Matt De Silva, Andy Dunn and Jacob Palmer and freshman Ladd Mercer teamed for a time of 9:53.41, besting the team's season best by more than 14 seconds and falling just six seconds shy of the NCAA provisional mark. Junior Lance Moe topped the field in the unseeded section of the men's high jump, clearing a season-best height of 2.07 meters (6-09.50), and senior Ben Harpenau placed seventh in the men's weight throw, surpassing the NCAA provisional standard for the fourth time this season. Freshman Mike Willey edged out his season-best time in the men's 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 22.05 seconds.
On the women's side, freshman Leah Eber took seventh in the long jump, matching her season-best mark of 5.85 meters (19-02.50). Fellow rookie Elise Glass posted a solid performance in the 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 25.41.
Action resumes tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. (CST) in Lied Recreational Center. Visit PurdueSports.com for a link to Iowa State's live results and a full recap after the meet's conclusion.