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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Chukwuebuka Enekwechi went out with a new facility record in his final time competing at Rankin Track and Field on Friday. The senior broke his own mark in the hammer throw to win the Rankin/Poehlein Invitational.
Enekwechi entered the meet with a season-best hammer throw mark of 68.85 meters (225-11), which ranked 12th in the country for the year. He bettered that mark twice Friday and had two other marks better than 68 meters (223-1). The 11-time All-American's best throw came on his fourth attempt when he became the first person in the history of Rankin Track and Field to throw the hammer 70 meters. He recorded a distance of 70.04m (229-9), which breaks his previous facility record by 11 inches and ranks seventh in the country this year. The Laurelton, New York, native owns two Purdue facility records to go along with four school records and his current outdoor marks rank second and seventh in the country in the shot put and hammer throw, respectively.
On the women's side, Micaela Hazlewood had a personal best in the hammer throw to win the event. She threw 58.56m (192-1) on her final attempt, which moves her into sixth place on Purdue's all-time list. Her mark is just six inches shy of fourth place in school history. Hazlewood, a sophomore, now has marks in the top six in program history in three outdoor events, with the fourth-best discus throw, sixth best shot put and sixth best hammer throw.
Sarah Loesch had a PR in the women's hammer as well. The redshirt freshman threw 56.87m (186-7) to finish second overall. That mark is one foot, two inches better than her previous best and just six inches shy of Purdue's all-time list.
Alisha Bahler finished fifth in the hammer with a best of 55.22m (181-2). She had three marks of at least 181 feet. Jessica DelBovo finished eighth with a throw of 49.31m (161-9), while Devon Pessler took 11th after throwing 46.22m (151-8).
On the men's side, Luke Lewis finished fourth with a mark of 53.51m (175-6). That mark is a personal best by one foot, two inches.
The Rankin/Poehlein invitational continues Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET with the men's javelin. Running events are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., 30 minutes after the senior recognition.