May 6, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams head to the Billy Hayes Invitational, hosted by Indiana University this Friday, for a final tune-up before the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Hoosiers will host the conference meet as well Friday through Sunday, May 14-16, giving the Boilermakers an opportunity to get a test run before championship competition.
Just 13 individuals will travel south to Bloomington for Friday's action, which is set to start at 3 p.m. with a trio of field events and the prelims for the men's 110-meter hurdles. Seven of the Purdue entries come on the men's side, while the other six are Boilermaker women. Highlighting the list of entries is Purdue women's pole vault record-holder Brianna Neumann, who is set to compete for her first career Big Ten title next weekend. Neumann has broken the Boilermakers' outdoor mark twice this season, clearing 4.17 meters (13-08.25) at the Arizona State Invitational, and turning in a mark of 4.20 meters (13-09.75) at the Dave Rankin Invitational. She owns the No. 2 mark in the conference and is tied for the No. 18 mark in the country heading into the weekend.
Joining Neumann on the women's side are seniors Nan Hammel and Kristin Phillips, junior Janan Graham, sophomore Morgan Monroe and freshman Kari Shoolbraid. Hammel and Phillips will compete in the 800-meter run, where Hammel looks to solidify her No. 9 ranking in the conference and improve her chances for a bid to the NCAA Preliminary Rounds. Hammel clocked a season-best time of 2:10.40 at the Jesse Owens Track Classic last weekend, and has a career best of 2:09.24. Graham is set to run in the 200-meter dash, while Monroe is entered in the 400-meter hurdles and Shoolbraid will race in the 400-meter dash.
On the men's side junior Chris Kirtz is the Boilermakers' top-rated entry, heading into the weekend with the conference's No. 5 mark in the long jump at 7.30 meters (23-11.50). Kirtz placed second in the event at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this season, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors, after transferring to Purdue from Illinois State University last fall. Other Boilermaker men set to compete are sophomores Mike Willey, Josh Lee, Ladd Mercer, Cale Allen and Andy Dunn and freshman Simon Rogers. Willey is entered in the 110-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash, owning the No. 6 and 11 marks in the conference, respectively. He clocked a career-best time of 14.17 in the hurdles at the Dave Rankin Invitational this season, while his season best of 21.53 in the 200 came at the same meet. Lee will join Willey in the 200 with a career best of 21.86, while Mercer, Allen and Rogers are all ready to compete in the 1,500-meter run. Rogers is fresh off a career-best effort in the event, clocking a team-best time of 3:50.60 at the Jesse Owens Track Classic last weekend. Mercer has a career best of 3:47.48 from last season, while Allen hopes to crack his top time of 3:58.58. Dunn rounds out the group with an entry in the 400-meter hurdles, where he has a career best of 53.93 and a season best of 54:08.
Live results of Friday's action will be available , and a full recap of Purdue's results will be posted at PurdueSports.com after the meet's completion.