May 29, 2010
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams wrapped up a tremendous effort at the NCAA Championship East Preliminary Rounds on Saturday, hosted by North Carolina A&T University at Irwin Belk Track. Seniors Sarah Klaczynski and Nkeiru Ugwoaba were the last two to grab qualifying spots to the national meet, stretching the Boilermakers' total to seven for the championship even at the University of Oregon in 10 days.
Klaczynski opened the day with an outstanding effort in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, earning an automatic qualifier as she placed third in her heat with a career-best time of 10:22.81. She posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time in the east, and remains third all-time at Purdue in the event. She becomes the second NCAA qualifier for the Boilermakers in the women's steeplechase since 2004, when Purdue record holder Amber Ferner earned All-America honors.
It was a nail-biter in the women's triple jump as Ugwoaba held on to the 12th and final automatic qualifying spot with her mark of 12.71 meters (41-08.50). The Boilermaker senior made it through the preliminaries with her only mark as she fouled her first and third attempts, but logged her top mark of the day on the second attempt. While Ugwoaba was unable to improve in the final three jumps, neither were any of the competitors trailing her as she hung on to 12th place.
Junior Bill Hardcastle was unable to earn the double qualifier on Saturday as he marked just 50.03 meters (164-01) in the men's discus and didn't make the finals. Sophomore Terri Anderson had a similar performance on the women's side of the discus, not advancing to finals as she fouled two of her three throws and came up with a mark of just 42.98 meters (141-00).
The Boilermakers' seven national qualifiers are scheduled to depart in approximately a week for Eugene, Ore., as the University of Oregon will play host to the four-day NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, June 9-12. Visit PurdueSports.com this week for a full preview of the Purdue entries and their chase for All-America honors.