April 23, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind - The Purdue track and field teams are back in action this weekend with the prestigious Drake Relays. The Boilermakers will send 22 men and 19 women to compete on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Boilermakers are coming off the best meet in the Lonnie Greene coaching era, the head coach said last week. The team set three school records and had three other top-five marks in program history at the Kentucky relays. The majority of that group will compete this weekend.
Raheem Mostert is scheduled to compete in the 100m dash, looking to improve on his 10.25 seconds time which is the best in the Big Ten. Kevin Griffith is fresh of running the fifth-fastest 800m run in Purdue history. He will compete in that again this weekend. Matthew McClintock will take a crack at the 5,000-meter run. He already has the second-fastest 10k in school history this season, and is the school-record holder in the indoor 5k.
Brandon Winters will try to move up the Purdue lists in the 110m hurdles. He currently sits third on the all-time Purdue list and is second in the Big Ten this year. Andre Peart broke his own school record in the 400m hurdles last weekend and will again try to break it this weekend. Jake Waterman has one of the fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase times in Purdue lore and will aim for the program standard at the relays.
The Purdue throwers will look to improve on their many school records and top marks in the conference. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Dani Bunch, Coy Blair, Caleb Fricke and Caleb Reiff will compete across the hammer throw, shot put and discus this weekend. The group holds two outdoor school records and two other top-three marks in program history. Four of the five qualified for regionals a year ago.
On the women's side, Carmiesha Cox will continue to try to get back to full strength after recovering from an injury suffered prior to indoor season. The freshman is scheduled to run in the 100m dash. Kari Shoolbraid will be back at the 800m a week after breaking the program record, while BreAnna Smith will also compete after running the fourth-best mark in school history a week ago.
Devynne Charlton is back with the team after taking a weekend to compete at the CARIFTA Games, which slate the Caribbean nations against one another in a track championship. She took fifth in the 100m hurdles and will compete in the event this weekend. Ciana Tabb will also run in the event. Blair Doney will continue trying for the school record in the steeplechase, while Nikki Nunn will compete in the long jump. Cierra Brown will look to match her indoor school record in the triple jump, though she is not in the outdoor top five.
Full results will be available after each day of competition.