Saturday Results
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The track & field teams won eight events and broke four meet and facility records on the final day of the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. The Boilermakers wrapped up their spring break trip with the three-day, which concluded Saturday.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi had a solid start to his outdoor season just a week after scoring 13 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The senior opened in the shot put and threw the nation's top mark of the young season with a best of 19.05 meters (62-6.00). The mark broke the meet and stadium record of 18.69m (61-3.75), which was set by former Purdue shot putter Jakob Engel in 2013. Luke Lewis was also in the event and finished third overall with a best throw of 17.49m (57-4.75). The mark is a 2016-best for Lewis and currently ranks 10th in the country.
The Boilermakers swept the mile on the men's and women's sides. Kendall Hacker won the women's race, breaking the meet and facility records along the way. The sophomore ran a time of 4:49.59 to win by nearly two seconds. Hacker closed her final 400 meters in 1:08.00 to bring home the win. Her time was a personal record by nearly five seconds. Tate Schienbein took the men's mile by a second and a half. The senior ran a time of 4:12.72, closing his last 400m in 58.17 seconds.
Kiara McIntosh broke the stadium and meet record in the women's 800-meter run en route to her victory in the event. The junior held on at the finish line to win with a time of 2:09.20, just 0.36 of a second ahead of the second-place finisher. Her time is currently the best in the country. Vanessa McLeod finished third in the event with a time of 2:10.79, while Susan Hubbard was seventh with a time of 2:14.16.
Symone Black won the women's 400m hurdles with a stadium and meet record, as well as the nation's top mark. Black raced to a time of 57.36 seconds, which is the second fastest time of her career and 1.64 seconds faster than her opener at the same meet last season. The time is faster than any other individual's in program history, except Sybil Perry.
The women's 4x100m relay team of Autumn Heath, Carmiesha Cox, Savannah Roberson and Savannah Carson won their race Saturday with the nation's top time. The Purdue team ran a time of 44.80 seconds, which is the fourth-fastest time in program history and the fastest even in a season-opener. Heath was also in the 100m dash finals and finished fourth with a wind-legal time of 11.99 seconds.
Brionna Thomas was also a winner Saturday. She took the women's 400m dash crown with a time of 53.37 seconds. Her time is the best in the country so far this season and an outdoor PR for the sophomore. Her time ranks second in program history and is the fastest since 1987.
Yamani Hunter won the women's open 200m dash. She ran a time of 26.07 seconds. Cox and Carson competed in the seeded 200m dash. Cox finished sixth with a time of 24.00 seconds (+1.3), while Carson was seventh with a time of 24.02 (+1.8). Carson's time is an outdoor PR and ranks seventh in program history, while Cox's PR from last season is the school record.
Vania Anane was the top collegiate finisher in the women's triple jump. She leapt 12.40m (40-8.25) into a wind of 0.5 meters per second. The jump is the second-best wind-legal outdoor mark of her career.
Malcolm Dotson finished fifth in the men's seeded 200m dash with a time of 21.53 seconds. Obokhare Ikpefan was third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.52 seconds. That time is the second-fastest of his career. Kyle Webb finished third in the 200m dash with a time of 47.37 seconds. Nicholas Parks was sixth in the same event, crossing the line in 47.78 seconds.
The men's 4x100m relay team of Keanu Pennerman, Shawndail McLaren, Webb and Dotson finished fourth overall. The team, running with three freshmen and another first-year Boilermaker, ran a time of 40.65 seconds. That time is faster than all but one 4x100m relay run by the Boilermaker men last season.
In the women's throws, Elizabeth Iversen finished fifth in the shot put with a mark of 14.02m (46-00.00). Alisha Bahler was sixth with a best distance of 13.93m (45-8.50). Chelsie Meeks finished fourth in the discus throw. She threw a distance of 46.46m (152-05). Sarah Loesch finished fifth in the same event, throwing 45.50m (149-03).
The meet wrapped up with the 3,000m races. Alyssa Christoffer finished fifth on the women's side with a time of 10:06.02, while Shari Lund was seventh with a time of 10:13.13. Mary Abramson finished eighth in the race with a time of 10:13.23 and Jenna Halderman was 10th, crossing the line in 10:18.73. Seth Williams was fourth in the men's race with a time of 8:31.93. Jeremy Craven took ninth with a time of 8:40.14 and Alex Milner was 14th, crossing the line in 8:45.06.
The Boilermakers have next weekend off before heading to the Texas Relays. That meet is scheduled to begin Wednesday, March 30.