March 2, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Six members of the Purdue track and field teams were named Indoor Track and Field All-Big Ten on Tuesday in the wake of their impressive performances at the conference championships over the weekend. Junior Shane Crawford and senior Christina Madison both earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, winning the men's 60-meter dash and women's long jump, respectively.
Crawford made school history, breaking the Purdue record in the 60-meter dash in the preliminaries with a time of 6.67 and again in the championship race with a career-best time of 6.66. His time exceeds the NCAA provisional standard in the event and is tied for 10th in the nation this season. Madison leapt a career best 6.21 meters (20-04.50) to top the women's long jump and become the first woman in school history to capture an indoor crown in the event. Both Boilermakers took home their first conference championship as Crawford secured the 79th individual men's title in school history and Madison won the Boilermakers' 46th women's Big Ten Championship. Crawford becomes the 49th male at Purdue to earn First Team all-conference honors, while Madison is the 55th female Boilermaker since the inception of the Men's and Women's All-Big Ten Indoor Track and Field awards in 1984.
Seniors Eric Sparks and Nkeiru Ugwoaba, and juniors Chris Kirtz and Stacey Wannemacher all nabbed Second Team All-Big Ten honors with silver-medal performances over the weekend. Sparks was second in the men's pole vault, clearing 5.30 meters (17-04.50) and earning his second career second-place finish at the indoor championships, while Ugwoaba fell just shy of her second straight indoor women's triple jump crown, claiming runner-up honors and tying her season-best mark of 12.63 meters (41-05.25). Kirtz placed second in the men's long jump in his inaugural Big Ten Championship appearance, leaping 7.21 meters (23-08.00), and Wannemacher was the silver medalist in the women's weight throw, tossing a career best 19.58 meters (64-03.00), good for third all-time at Purdue.
In addition to these six, junior Jacob Palmer and senior Sarah Klaczynski were honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship award, recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior in addition to being in good academic standing and demonstrating good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
A select group of Boilermakers, including Sparks, Davis, Madison and Wannemacher, will compete this weekend at one of two last chance meets. A group of eight Boilermaker jumpers heads north to Notre Dame for the Alex Wilson Invitational, while a trio of Purdue throws will go west to Iowa State for the Cyclones' Last Chance Qualifier.