April 24, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sophomore Geoff Davis and senior Shane Crawford led an outstanding Purdue track and field performance on Sunday at the Ohio State Jesse Owens Track Classic, as Davis broke the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium record in the men's high jump, while Crawford ran the Big Ten's fastest time in the men's 100-meter dash. Their showings were two of several impressive marks for the Boilermakers on the day, including seven event victories and a wealth of career-best efforts.
After a mediocre start to his outdoor season, Davis exploded up the conference and national leaderboards in the men's high jump, clearing 2.21 meters (7-03.00) to win the event and break a seven-year old facility record at Ohio State. Just a centimeter shy of his career best, his new 2011 mark makes him the active leader in the Big Ten and leaves him tied for eighth in all of NCAA Division I competition.
Crawford had a pair of outstanding efforts on Sunday, highlighted by him burning up the track in a career-best and first-place effort in the men's 100-meter dash. Crawford took firm hold of the Big Ten lead in the event and clocked the fifth-fastest time in Purdue history as he broke the tape in 10.37 seconds, more than a tenth faster than the second-place finisher. Even more impressive, Crawford posted the time with very little wind help as the reading registered at just 0.7 mph. Crawford returned later to smash his career best in the 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 21.36 to place second overall and offer the ninth-fastest time in the Big Ten this season.
The rest of the Boilermaker victories came through seniors Emily Breslin, Stacey Wannemacher and Chris Thoman and juniors Elizabeth Stover and Leah Eber. Breslin gave the Boilermakers a high jump sweep, taking the women's title with a season-best mark of 1.79 meters (5-10.50). Breslin topped Ohio State rival Ashley Galbraith for the second straight meet, moving up to 18th in the nation in the event standings. Wannemacher topped the field and improved her season-best effort in the women's shot put, tossing it 16.21 meters (53-02.25) to climb to 19th in NCAA Division I, followed closely by freshman teammate Dani Bunch, who threw an outdoor career best 15.37 meters (50-05.25), good for fifth all-time at Purdue.
Thoman and Stover swept the men's and women's pole vaults as Thoman cleared 5.05 meters (16-06.75) and Stover marked3.85 meters (12-07.50), while Eber leapt 6.18 meters (20-03.50) to win the women's long jump. Eber added a third-place showing in the women's triple jump, marking a career-best 12.08 meters (39-07.75) despite jumping into a stiff headwind.
The Boilermaker men received other solid showings from seniors Jacob Palmer, Bill Hardcastle, Chris Kirtz and Josh Hembrough and freshman Normondo Harris. Palmer edged out his career best in the 800-meter run, placing fifth with a time of 1:49.67, while Hardcastle took third in a deep shot put field with a toss of 17.39 meters (57-00.75). Kirtz was fifth in the long jump with a mark of 7.27 meters (23-10.25), Hembrough took fourth in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.26 seconds, and Harris had a solid Boilermaker debut in the triple jump, taking second with a mark of 14.35 meters (47-01.00).
Standout performances from the Purdue women came from sophomore Kari Shoolbraid, freshman Ciana Tabb and the entire women's 400-meter dash group. Shoolbraid ran a new career record in the 800-meter run, taking fourth place with a time of 2:11.90, while Tabb cracked her personal best in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 14.19. The Boilermaker quartet of freshman Ebony Woodard, juniors Janan Graham and Elise Glass and rookie Taylor Morrison all turned in career-best times in the 400-meter dash, placing consecutively from fifth to eighth. Woodard led the group at 55.95, followed by Graham in 56.23 and Glass and Morrison at 56.45. The four later teamed up to turn in a season-best effort in the 4x400-meter relay, placing second with a time of 3:43.41, while Glass and Woodard teamed with Eber and Tabb for a new season-best time of 46.49, also good for second.
The Boilermakers split up next weekend sending some to the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia, and others to the Stan Lyons Invitational in Indianapolis.