Head coach Lonnie Greene was extremely pleased w/ the Boilermakers meet at the NCAA East Prelims. Hear what he said. https://t.co/RxNHYcsEaU
-- PurdueTrack&Field (@PurdueTrackXC) May 29, 2016
Saturday Results / Final Results
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Boilermakers advanced six more entries to the national championships, including all four relay teams, on the final day of the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi was also a highlight of the day, as he was the top finisher in the shot put, earning him a second entry at the NCAA Championships.
"This kids had a great meet," head coach Lonnie Greene said. "The kids competed exceedingly well across the board. That's what makes a good program. You need to be firing in every discipline. I always thought we could do this and we could do this at Purdue. We're in it. We're competing against the best in the country and competing like we belong. I have to tip my hat to my entire staff. A head coach is only as good as his or her assistants and this staff and this team is doing great work. We're here because of all the hardwork that has been put into this program."
The men's and women's 4x400-meter relays were the last events on the track Saturday night at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida. Both were in the first heat and were looking to finish top three in their heat, in order to earn an automatic bid, or be among the next best three teams through the three heats. The women were first.
Symone Black led things off and got around the track with the Boilermakers in the top three, including against three teams that ranked higher in the region than Purdue. Black handed off to Aarin Jones to who motored around, before handing off to Taylor Dunlap, who filled in for Carmiesha Cox after she sustained a minor injury in the 200-meter dash. The Boilermakers were in fourth when Dunlap took the stick. She split a 54.69, which put the team in fifth, before Brionna Thomas took over. Thomas ran the fastest split of any leg of any team in the race, closing the final 400 meters in 51.96 seconds to give the Boilermakers a time of 3:32.97 and fourth place in the meet. The time is the second-fastest in program history, but meant that the women would have to wait for the final two heats before they would know their NCAA Championships fate.
Just two teams ran a faster time than the Purdue women in the second heat, meaning the women were still in position for the top at-large spot and the final heat would need six teams to run faster. They didn't. Again, just two times were faster, meaning the women earned a trip to Eugene, Oregon, for the national championships with the eighth-fastest overall time in the region.
Next, it was the men's turn. Nicholas Parks kept Purdue in the top three through the first 400 meters, before he handed to Obokhare Ikpefan. Ikpefan, who had already punched his ticket to NCAAs in the 400m hurdles, brought the stick around with the Boilermakers in fourth, before he handed to Kendal Frederick. The junior ran the fastest third-leg in the race and moved the Boilermakers into the lead by 0.21 of a second at the exchange. Freshman Shawndail McLaren took the stick and ran the fastest split of his career, clocking 45.74 seconds, giving the team a time of 3:06.06. That time was fourth in the heat, giving the men the same scenario as the women.
And it played out the same. No other at-large teams beat the men's time through the next two heats, meaning the Boilermakers earned a spot in the national championships. The men's time was the 10th fastest at the meet.
The Boilermakers also got both 4x100m relay teams through. The women got it started in the first track event of the day with the team of Autumn Heath, Cox, Savannah Roberson and Savannah Carson. Though the first exchange wasn't perfect, the Boilermakers were able to overcome the slight stumble and rally to finish second in the race with a time of 44.72 seconds. The finish earned the team of three sophomores and a junior (Cox) an automatic bid to the Eugene.
The men's 4x100m relay team also earned an automatic bid. Gerald McGee led things off and got the stick to Malcolm Dotson in great position. The freshman gave Purdue a slight lead before handing off the Kyle Webb. Webb maintained the position before handing off to Keanu Pennerman, who brought things home. The team finished with a time of 39.89 seconds to take third in the heat and earn the automatic spot.
The Boilermakers are one of just four teams in the east region to qualify all four relay teams and one of just six schools total to do so. The other five teams with all four relay teams to advance are from the Southeastern Conference.
Elsewhere, Enekwechi continued to do what he does in the throwing ring. The senior, who had already qualified in the hammer throw, had all three throws over 63 feet and capped his final regional with the best throw at the meet. He launched a throw of 20.20 meters (66-3.25), which defended his top seed in the region, as he won the event and earned a spot at the national championships.
Cox advanced in the 200-meter dash with an automatic spot. The junior, running next to Roberson in the first heat, ran the fastest time of her career, crossing the finish line second in 22.75 seconds. Roberson wasn't far behind, taking fifth in the heat with a time of 22.98 seconds. While both times are much faster than the school record, the race was significantly wind-aided (+4.7). Cox's time was the eighth-fastest in the quarterfinal, while Roberson finished 14th, just two spots and 0.06 of a second shy of also qualifying.
In other action Saturday, Anaquan Peterson was 14th in the men's triple jump, just four centimeters shy of qualifying. Justin Veteto matched his personal record in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing in 14.02 seconds to take 19th in the region. Vania Anane finished 23rd in the women's triple jump, while Shantyra Delaney was 20th in the 100m hurdles. Luke Lewis finished 20th in the shot put and Tate Schienbein finished 41st in the 5,000-meter run.
The Boilermakers will have 15 entries at the NCAA Championships in two weeks, including an expected 22 athletes that will make the trip. The full list, including alternates, is below.
Purdue's 15 entries are nearly as many as it had the last two years combined, as the Boilermakers had seven a year ago and nine in 2014.
Symone Black - 400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay
Savannah Carson - 100m, 4x100m Relay
Carmiesha Cox - 200m, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay
Malcolm Dotson - 4x100m Relay
Taylor Dunlap - 4x400m Relay
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi - Shot Put, Hammer Throw
Kendal Frederick - 4x400m Relay
Jessica Harter - Pole Vault
Micaela Hazlewood - Discus Throw
Autumn Heath - 4x100m Relay
Obokhare Ikpefan - 400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay
Aarin Jones - 4x400m Relay
Gerald McGee - 4x100m Relay
Shawndail McLaren - 4x400m Relay
Chelsie Meeks - Discus Throw
Janae' Moffitt - High Jump
Nicholas Parks - 400m, 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay
Keanu Pennerman - 4x100m Relay
Savannah Roberson - 4x100m Relay
Kinard Rolle - 4x400m Relay
Brionna Thomas - 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay
Kyle Webb - 4x100m Relay, 4x400m Relay