Feb. 18, 2011
Purdue Track & Field on Facebook
Purdue Track & Field on Twitter
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete in their final regular season indoor meet this Saturday, hosting the Boilermaker Invitational at Lambert Fieldhouse. Unlike past years, the majority of the Boilermaker roster will compete this weekend, making their final adjustments before the Big Ten Championships.
Saturday will be a fairly small meet as Purdue hosts just a few other teams in Valparasiso, Millikin, Goshen and the Northwestern women's team. The Boilermakers will be focused on their own performances during the meet as the women will host the 2011 Big Ten Indoor Championships next Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-27, while the men's team will make the short trip over to the University of Illinois for its championships.
"We look at this meet as our last opportunity to get things right before the conference meet," said Boilermaker head coach Jack Warner. "We're trying to make those final adjustments to go after our top times and marks and compete at the highest level next weekend."
Among those looking for those final adjustments are men's senior standouts Jacob Palmer, Josh Hembrough and Bill Hardcastle. Palmer has put forth career best marks in both the 600- and 800-meter runs this indoor season, and looks to make another improvement in the 600 on Saturday. He clocked a career best time of 1:20.31 at the Gene Edmonds Cup and looks to take into the 1:18-19 territory this weekend. Hembrough is looking for a breakthrough in the 60-meter hurdles, running a top time of 8.15 seconds this season, but holding a career-best mark of 7.77 in the event. Like Palmer, Hardcastle has had a breakout senior campaign and put forth indoor career-best marks in the shot put and weight throw. Hardcastle's top toss of 18.27 meters (59-11.25) in the shot put is the fifth-best mark in the Big Ten this season and the No. 17 mark in the nation.
On the women's side, juniors Elizabeth Stover and Leah Eber and freshman Nikki Nunn all look to keep up their momentum from last weekend as they all set or tied season-best marks at Grand Valley State. Stover moved up to fifth in the conference standings in the pole vault, clearing an indoor career best 3.95 meters(12-11.50), while Eber matched her season-best mark of 6.07 meters (19-11.00) in the long jump. Eber led a 1-2 finish at Grand Valley State as Nunn bounded a career best 6.03 meters (19-09.50) to finish second and vault herself to fourth in the Big Ten standings, right behind Eber.
Saturday's action will be covered live through a variety of sources, including live results through Delta Timing Group. Updates can also be found throughout the day at the Boilermakers' Official Twitter Page, and the Purdue Track & Field Facebook Page. The events will kick off at 11 a.m. with several field events, while the track events are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. with the women's mile run.