Feb. 12, 2010
ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams excelled at the first day of the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Friday, winning a trio of events and posting several season and personal bests in the process. The Boilermakers topped the men's and women's long jump, the women's 600-meter run and the women's pole vault, while freshman Geoff Davis continued improving his chance of advancing to the NCAA Indoor Championships with a career-best performance in the men's high jump.
Davis cleared a personal record for the fourth time this season, soaring over 2.20 meters (7-02.50) to place second on Friday night. His mark is the fourth best in Purdue's indoor history, surpassing Mike Burns' mark from the 1986 season, and matches the seventh-best clearance in NCAA Division I this season. Senior teammate Adetayo Adesanya followed Davis in third place, clearing the NCAA provisional standard of 2.14 meters (7-00.25) for the third time this season.
Junior Rashad Cannon and sophomore Leah Eber continued their season dominance in the men's and women's long jump, topping their respective fields with a pair of solid marks. Cannon surpassed the NCAA provisional standard for the third time this season and missed his season best by just two centimeters as he marked 7.54 meters (24-09.00) Friday night and exceeded the second-place finisher by more than half a meter (over 2'). Eber led a 1-2 Purdue finish on the women's side, besting senior teammate Christina Madison and fellow national qualifier Malaikah Love of Southern Illinois with a mark of 6.03 meters (19-09.50). Madison was just behind Eber with a mark of 5.98 meters (19-07.50).
Seniors Rachel Stalzer and Brianna Neumann rounded out the list of event winners on Friday night, as Stalzer topped the women's 600-meter run with a time of 1:32.96, and Neumann tied with former Notre Dame vaulter Mary Saxer with a mark of 4.10 meters (13-05.25). Stalzer's mark is just shy of her season best (1:32.62), which is good for seventh in the Big Ten standings, while Neumann exceeded the NCAA provisional qualifier for the fifth time this season.
Other standout performances on the women's side came from juniors Stacey Wannemacher and Emily Breslin and senior Nkeiru Ugwoaba. Wannemacher increased her season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the weight throw, earning seventh place with a toss of 19.36 meters (63-06.25) and taking over the top spot in the Big Ten in the event. She also finished fourth in the shot put with a mark of 15.13 meters (49-07.75). Breslin was second in the high jump, clearing 1.68 meters (5-06.00), while Ugwoaba was third in the triple jump with a mark of 12.21 meters (40-00.75).
Junior Bill Hardcastle improved his season best in the men's shot put, taking third place and inching closer to the NCAA provisional standard with a toss of 17.59 meters (57-08.50), good for sixth in the Big Ten standings. Sophomore teammate Gabe Pirtle earned a bronze medal as well, finishing the men's 600-meter run in 1:21.75. Senior Eric Sparks turned in a fourth-place finish in the men's pole vault, clearing 5.10 meters (16-08.75), and sophomore Ladd Mercer and freshmen Charles White and Simon Rogers all posted season-best times in the mile run, crossing the line in 4:12.84, 4:11.40 and 4:12.91, respectively.
Competition resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. with a variety of open field events and the women's open 5,000-meter run.