Final Results
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The track and field teams kicked off the 2015-16 season Friday at Gladstein Fieldhouse. The Boilermakers had a "great meet," according to head coach Lonnie Greene, which saw several individuals add their names to Purdue's all-time top-10 lists.
"I thought the kids competed very well today," Greene said. "We are way ahead of where we were at this time last year. Across the board, we ran way faster than we ever have at this point in a season since my staff has been here. Now, we just have to get ready and take advantage of the break and get ready to start up again in January. This was a great opener. I'm rather pleased with how we competed today."
Purdue won three events Friday, including one by freshman Janae' Moffitt. The reigning Miss Indiana Track and Field tied for first in the women's high jump, despite only working a short approach. Moffitt cleared 1.70 meters (5-07.00), which is the best by a Boilermaker in three seasons. Taylor Dunlap won the women's 400m dash, which she cruised to a victory by more than four seconds.
The men's 4x400m relay team had an impressive win in the opener. The team of Kinard Rolle, Kyle Webb, Justin Veteto and Kendal Frederick ran a time of 3:13.91, which broke the previous meet record by 1.09 seconds and currently sits as the second fastest time in the country this season.
Several Boilermaker newcomers had strong debuts. Malcolm Dotson, who has practiced with the track team for just two weeks after being a member of the football team in the fall, opened his career with a 6.83-seconds time in his heat of the 60-meter dash. That time was second fastest in the heat and advanced him to the finals. There, he improved his time to 6.78 seconds to finish second overall, just 0.03 of a second behind the winner. In his first collegiate meet, the freshman's time ranks tied for sixth in program history. Webb, a junior transfer in his first race as a Boilermaker, was right behind him, crossing the finish line in 6.79 seconds to finish third. His time is tied for the eighth fastest in program history. Webb also finished third in the 300m dash with a time of 34.37 seconds, which ranks seventh in program history.
Sarah Loesch had a good opening meet in the women's weight throw. The redshirt freshman finished second overall with a best mark of 18.48m (60-7.75), which ranks her eighth in program history.
"I liked how well our newcomers competed," Greene said. "I liked every aspect of it. It's going to be very fun to watch them compete and get better. I was pleased with how they did today. They help give us a complete team and I look forward to watching them get better."
Savannah Carson was busy in the season opener. The junior finished second in the women's 60m dash with a time of 7.44 seconds, just 0.04 of a second off her personal best. She followed that up with a 24.37-seconds time in the 200m dash, which was good enough to win her heat and finish second overall. That time was a PR by 0.14 of a second, and moved her into fifth place all-time on the Purdue list. Carson also competed in the long jump.
Symone Black just missed the school record in the 500m dash en route to a second place finish. Last year's indoor Big Ten Freshman of the Year ran a time of 1:12.69, despite having to hurdle a set of starting blocks that was inadvertently left on the track in the opposite corner of the starting line. Black's time ranks second in the country this season and is No. 2 on the all-time Purdue list. Brionna Thomas and Aarin Jones were also in the event. Thomas won her heat with a time of 1:12.42, while Jones took the top spot in the final heat after crossing the finish line in 1:13.86.
Elsewhere around the track, Shantyra Delaney won her 60m hurdles prelim, before finishing third overall in the finals. She had a top time of 8.75 seconds. Jessica Harter finished fourth in the pole vault after opening up at 3.85m (12-7.50). She cleared on her first attempt. Rookie Charlotte Brown cleared her first collegiate bar, after clearing 3.40m (11-1.75). Justin Veteto won his heat of the 300m dash and was fourth overall with a time of 34.60 seconds. That time is just outside Purdue's all-time top 10. Kinard Rolle was fourth in the 500m dash with a time of 1:03.41. That mark ranks third in program history. Kendal Frederick was sixth in the event after finishing in 1:03.91. That time is the fifth best in the Purdue annals.