Nov. 16, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams announced its team captains for the 2011 season on Tuesday, electing seniors Jacob Palmer and Bill Hardcastle and junior Cale Allen to lead the men's team, while seniors Emily Breslin and Stacey Wannemacher and junior Leah Eber guide the women's squad.
"The teams couldn't have selected six more deserving individuals," said Boilermaker head coach Jack Warner. "They each bring their own style of leadership to the table and will help our team accomplish great things this year."
Of the three men's captains, Hardcastle is the most accomplished, having won a trio of Big Ten titles and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on two occasions. He owns some of the top throws marks in school history, owning the No. 3 outdoor mark in the shot put and discus, and was named the 2008 Big Ten Outdoor Athlete of the Year, Athlete of the Championships and Freshman of the Year.
Palmer and Allen have their own lists of accomplishments as Palmer placed in the 800-meter run at both the indoor and outdoor conference meets, while Allen has been a staple of Purdue distance running for the last three years. Palmer clocked a top time of 1:49.69 at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, good for seventh place in the event, while Allen has been one of Purdue's top competitors in the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs in recent history.
On the women's side, all three Boilermaker captains have marked up the Purdue history books over the last few years, but none more decorated than Wannemacher. A two-time All-American, she owns both the Boilermakers' indoor and outdoor shot put records and last season became the first Boilermaker of either gender to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in two events since 2004. She also owns spots on Purdue's all-time top five in the weight throw and hammer throw, standing third and fifth, respectively.
Breslin made her mark in the Purdue record books last season, matching the No. 5 mark in outdoor school history in the women's high jump, clearing 1.81 meters (5-11.25) at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds and qualifying for her first NCAA Championship meet. She's a five-time Big Ten Championship placewinner, including a second-place showing outdoors in 2009. Eber has already put her name in Purdue history as well, tying the Boilermakers' indoor long jump record and ranking third all-time outdoors in the event. She medaled in the long jump both indoors and outdoors at the Big Ten Championships last season and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds as well.
The Boilermakers kick off their indoor season on Saturday, Jan. 8, hosting the annual Purdue Invitational at Lambert Fieldhouse.