June 11, 2010
EUGENE, Ore. - Friday's competition at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Oregon at Hayward Field, marked the completion of an outstanding career and the end of a stellar rookie campaign for the Purdue men's and women's track and field teams. Senior Brianna Neumann finished up her Boilermaker career in the women's pole vault, while freshman Geoff Davis had a solid showing in the men's high jump.
Neumann flirted with the All-America platform on the day, clearing 4.10 meters (13-05.50) and taking home 13th place in the competition. It seemed she needed a warm-up attempt at each height as after passing the opening mark, she cleared both 4.00 meters (13-01.50) and 4.10 meters on her second trip down the runway. Neumann's first attempt at 4.20 meters (13-09.25) appeared to be gold, but she barely clipped the bar on the way down, knocking it off its perch. Her last two attempts were close as well, but she was unable to match her season best bowed out just shy of placing.
Neumann graduates with both the Boilermakers' indoor and outdoor records in the women's pole vault, tying for the top mark in school history at 4.25 meters (13-11.25) and breaking her own record twice this season outdoors and topping out at 4.20 meters. She was a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier and seven-time Big Ten Championship placewinner in her career.
Davis had a solid showing Friday, clearing 2.14 meters (7-00.25) and taking 12th place. The competition was his second national meet of the season as he qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship as well, in addition to finishing second at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and fifth at the indoor conference meet. Like Neumann, Davis passed on the opening height of the day, and made short work of the second bar, clearing 2.10 meters (6-10.75) on his first attempt. At 2.14 meters he made it interesting, missing his first two attempts and rattling the bar a little on the third, but it hung on to allow him to advance. However, Davis was unable to get over the ensuing height of 2.17 meters (7-01.50), finishing out an outstanding rookie season.
In his first collegiate year, Davis posted the fourth-highest indoor high jump mark in school history, clearing 2.20 meters (7-02.50), and tied the second-best outdoor clearance at Purdue at 2.22 meters (7-03.25).
The Boilermakers complete their national competition and look to get on the scoreboard on both the men's and women's side tomorrow as junior Bill Hardcastle will compete in the men's shot put at 9:30 a.m. (PT), and senior Sarah Klaczynski runs the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at approximately 10:54 a.m. CBS will start its live broadcast of the NCAA Outdoor Championships at 1 p.m. (ET), and it's likely that Klaczynski's race will be shown in its entirety on national television.