May 1, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams braved high winds and rainy conditions to come up with a series of season bests and outstanding performances at the 25th-annual Jesse Owens Track Classic, hosted by Ohio State University on Saturday. Senior Lance Moe posted the only event victory of the day for the Boilermakers, while sophomore Terri Anderson closed in on the Purdue record in the women's discus.
Moe led a Boilermaker 1-2-3 sweep of the men's high jump on Saturday, clearing 2.13 meters (6-11.75) to top the field. Fellow senior Adetayo Adesanya and freshman Geoff Davis rounded out the outstanding Purdue finish in second and third as Adesanya cleared 2.10 meters (6-10.75) and Davis had a top height of 2.07 meters (6-09.50).
Anderson notched one of several impressive showings on the women's side, finishing fifth in a loaded women's discus field and launching herself to second on Purdue's all-time list in the event with a mark of 52.99 meters (173-10). Now within a meter of the Boilermakers' record of 53.90 meters (175-10), set by Astin Steward at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, Anderson now owns the No. 12 mark in the country and the seventh-longest throw in the NCAA East Region.
Purdue's other top performances on the day came from seniors Christina Madison and Nkeiru Ugwoaba, and junior Bill Hardcastle, who all had top-three showings in their respective events. Madison was second in the women's long jump, leaping 6.12 meters (20-01.00), Ugwoaba took silver in the women's triple jump with a mark of 12.45 meters (40-10.25) and Hardcastle was third in the men's discus, hurling a toss of 53.53 meters (175-07).
Junior Josh Hembrough took fifth overall and was the No. 3 collegian in the men's 110-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 14.29, and fellow junior Jacob Palmer and senior Nan Hammel turned in season-best times in the men's and women's 800-meter runs, taking fifth and seventh, respectively. Palmer improved his career best time in the race to 1:50.51, while Hammel slashed her season-best mark to 2:10.40.
Other field event placings came from juniors Emily Breslin and Chris Kirtz as Breslin was sixth in the women's high jump at 1.70 meters (5-07.00), while Kirtz earned eighth in the men's long jump at 7.06 meters (23-02.00).
The Boilermakers got a banner day from their relays on Saturday as both women's groups posted season bests, while the men's 4x400-meter team placed seventh overall. The women's 4x400-meter relay of Hammel, classmate Rachel Stalzer, junior NaTasha Blair and sophomore Elise Glass finished fifth with a time of 3:48.91, while the women's 4x100-meter team of Madison, Ugwoaba, Glass and fellow sophomore Leah Eber earned sixth place with a time of 47.05. The men's 4x400 group of junior Andy Dunn and sophomores Mike Willey, Josh Lee and Gabe Pirtle finished seventh overall with a time of 3:14.34.
Purdue has just one more meet before the Big Ten Championships, heading down to Indiana University this Friday for the Billy Hayes Invitational.