April 28, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Purdue women's track and field team got action underway at the 117th edition of The Penn Relays on Thursday, competing in eight different events, despite inclement weather conditions and delays. The Boilermakers had several outstanding performances, highlighted by a pair of outstanding relay performances.
The Boilermakers captured the College division distance medley relay championship on Thursday as freshman Kelly McCurdy, junior Elise Glass and sophomores Alice Feslier Holmes and Camille Buscomb teamed for a time o f 11:41.33. Buscomb ran the final leg (1,600 meters) for the Boilermakers, taking her team from third to first after getting the stick 30 meter behind the two teams in front of her.
The Purdue 4x400-meter relay squad of Senior NaTasha Blair, junior Janan Graham and freshmen Ebony Woodard and Taylor Morrison teamed to smash their season best with a time of 3:41.44. The time was the 12th-fastest qualifier on the day, advancing the Boilermakers to Saturday's 4x400-meter College finals.
Blair got her individual race in before the weather delays on Thursday and did so in grand fashion, posting a career-best time of 1:00.12 in the 400-meter hurdles, good for eighth in the College Championship division and 10th in the Big Ten this season.
Junior Leah Eber was second in the College Championship division of the long jump, marking 6.16 meters (20-02.50). Eber had her top jump on her second attempt of the day, but had to wait more than an hour between prelims and finals due to lightning in the area. Delays hit the College Championship hammer throw as well, where senior Stacey Wannemacher and freshman Dani Bunch placed ninth and 10th with marks of 50.71 meters (166-04) and 49.57 meters (162-07). The pair returned for the College Championship shot put as well, where Wannemacher was fourth with a toss of 16.01 meters (52-06.50) and Bunch was 11th at 14.26 meters (46-09.50).
In the College division, junior Terri Anderson and Liberty Slinden tied for second in the shot put with matching throws of 14.59 meters (47-10.50). Slinden's mark is a new season and career best as she remains 12th in the conference, giving the Boilermakers four individuals ranked in the top-12. Freshman Nikki Nunn offered another solid performances in the College division, finishing 10th in the long jump. Nunn just missed the finals with a mark of 5.78 meters (18-11.75).
Competition resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. with the men's College Championship shot put.