June 13, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - With the conclusion of the final event of the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Purdue women's team tied for 20th place with 13 points, while the men placed for the first time in four years, tying for 52nd with four points. This marks the first time since the 2004 season that both the Boilermakers' men's and women's teams scored at the national championship meet.
The Boilermaker women's 13 points came on the strength of All-America performances by senior Kara Patterson and junior Stacey Wannemacher. Patterson was second in the javelin throw to earn eight team points, while Wannemacher took fourth in the shot put for five team points. Junior Adetayo Adesanya picked up all four of the Purdue men's points, clearing two career-best bars to take fifth in the high jump.
Purdue was tied for the fifth-highest team point total in the Big Ten as Michigan was seventh with 28 points, Illinois tied for 12th with 18 points, Penn State earned 14th with 17 points and Minnesota was 18th with 14.5 points. The Boilermakers matched Michigan State with 13 points, securing their highest team showing since 1996, when they also tied for 20th. The Purdue men scored at the national meet for the first time since 2005, when they tied for 46th place.
Texas A&M University took home both the men's and women's team titles, piling up 50 points on the women's side and 48 on the men's.