B1G Release and Schedule / Meet Notes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The track & field teams are set to compete at the 2016 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, on Friday and Saturday. The men's team enters the meet ranked 15th in the country, the highest of any Big Ten team, while the women are 25th, the third best in the conference.
THE COMPETITION
The 12 conference teams on the men's side and 13 on the women's side get together at the SPIRE Institute in Geneve, Ohio. It is the fourth straight year the Big Ten has held its indoor championships at that venue. A breakdown of the teams' rankings is below (M/W).
- Indiana (78/59)
- Illinois (67/69)
- Iowa (58/89)
- Maryland (NA/107)
- Michigan (56/6)
- Michigan State (63/67)
- Minnesota (25/53)
- Nebraska (59/39)
- Ohio State (53/63)
- Penn State (17/27)
- Rutgers (79/102)
- Wisconsin (41/22)
LAST YEAR'S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The women finished tied for third, just one point behind second place, with 68 points last year at indoor Big Tens. The men's team finished 11th with 37 points. The teams combined to medal in 10 events, including five silvers.
- Symone Black was named the women's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, after finishing runner-up in the 400-meter dash with a then-school record time. She also ran a leg of the third-place 4x400m relay team, giving her 9.5 points in her inaugural conference meet.
- Chukwuebuka Enekwechi scored 16 points, which led the men's team, with a pair of runner-up finishes in the shot put and weight throw.
- Devynne Charlton scored 18 points for the women with runner-up finishes in the 60m dash and 60m hurdles, as well as a seventh-place finish in the 200m dash.
- Carmiesha Cox scored nine points, earning the bronze medal in the 200m dash and finishing sixth in the 60m dash.
- Katie Hoevet snagged a bronze medal in the women's mile, after wrapping up what was her best meet as a Boilermaker.
- Hoevet was also a member of the women's distance medley relay team that finished third, with teammates Kiara McIntosh, Taylor Dunlap and Vanessa McLeod.
CHASING BIG TEN TITLES
The Purdue men lead the Big Ten in two events, are second in three more and have the highest team ranking in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Poll. The women lead the conference in three events, are second in four more and have the third-highest team ranking in the Big Ten.
- Enekwechi leads the conference - and the entire world - in the weight throw this year. He has finished third twice and second once in the event at Big Tens in his career. A win would be Purdue's first in the event since 2008.
- Enekwechi is second in the shot put in the Big Ten for the 2016 season. He has finished sixth, third and second in the event during his indoor career. A win would be Purdue's first in the event since 2005.
- Anaquan Peterson leads the Big Ten in the triple jump and is second in the long jump, though he has never scored at the indoor conference meet. A win in the triple jump would be Purdue's first since 1997 - and just the program's second ever - while a long jump win would be the first by a Boilermaker since 1978.
- The men's 4x400m relay team of Nicholas Parks, Kyle Webb, Kinard Rolle and Shawndail McLaren ranks second in the conference this season. A win by the group would be Purdue's first ever indoor 4x400m relay title.
- The men's team has the highest national ranking among conference teams, though is ranked sixth in the region, including behind four Big Ten foes. The highest Big Ten indoor finish by the men's program is second, which has happened twice since 2000.
- Savannah Carson leads the Big Ten in the 60m dash, while Charlton is second. The women have never had a 60m dash champion.
- Carson also leads the conference in the long jump. The last Purdue woman to win the Big Ten in that event was Leah Eber in 2012.
- Black leads the Big Ten in the 400m dash. The Boilermakers have twice had a Big Ten 400m indoor champion, with wins in 1999 and 2001.
- Charlton is second in the 60m hurdles. No Purdue woman has ever won a conference title in that event.
- Hoevet is second in the conference in the mile. The Boilermakers have had just one woman win the conference mile championship and that came in the inaugural women's Big Ten Championships in 1982.
- The women's DMR is second in the conference in the event. The last Purdue DMR title came in 2001.
- The women's team ranks third in the conference according to the latest USTFCCCA national poll. The Boilermakers have won just one conference title in history, which came in 2001.
- The men and women are seeking Purdue's first individual conference titles since 2014. Despite the women's team last year finishing its highest since 2001, the team did not have an individual champion.
RETURNERS WITH BIG TEN SUCCESS
Purdue has 15 individuals scheduled to compete who have scored at previous Big Ten Indoor Championships.
- Enekwechi leads the way with 37 points scored over three years.
- Charlton is the top woman with 23 points scored in two conference meets.
- McLeod has scored 14.75 points for the women, including a Big Ten championship in the 800m in 2013.
- Hoevet has 12.5 for the women, while McClintock has 12 for the men in the distance events.
- Black scored 9.5 points for the women last year, while Cox scored nine.
- Aarin Jones has 7.5 points in her career, while Taylor Dunlap has four.
- Obokhare Ikpefan has added 3.25 points, including two in the 400m last year.
- Elizabeth Iversen and McIntosh both scored three points at the meet last year.
- Parks has 2.5 points over three years on relay teams.
- Kendal Frederick has scored two points, and Brionna Thomas has 1.5 points for her efforts in the 4x400m relay last year.
COVERAGE
For the first time in Big Ten history, the conference meet will be streamed live online. Friday's coverage is set to begin at 2:05 p.m. ET on BTN2Go.com/schedule?sids=TF, while Saturday's streaming begins at 1:15 p.m. The first event scheduled to be streamed Friday is the men's 60m trials, while Saturday's first event is the men's mile final.
Fans can also follow the meet on social media: @PurdueTrackXC on Twitter, Facebook.com/PurdueTrack and PurdueTrack on Instagram.
Full daily recaps and results will be posted to PurdueSports.com following the completion of each day of competition.
T&F Heads to B1G Championships
Feb. 25, 2016