Tyson Results / Iowa State Results
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark./AMES, Iowa - The track & field teams capped their best weekend of the season to date with another school record and multiple conference leading marks Saturday at the Tyson and Iowa State Invitationals. Savannah Roberson highlighted the day with an impressive 200-meter dash win and broke the school record in the process at the Tyson Invitational.
Roberson was in the Olympic Development 200m dash and was lined up next to Kentucky's Destiny Carter, who has run a sub-23 second 200m dash in her career. Roberson was strong start to finish on the 200m banked track and edged Carter at the line by 0.02 of a second, finishing with a time of 23.48 seconds. The time was an indoor personal record by 0.21 of a second and broke teammates Devynne Charlton and Carmiesha Cox's school record of 23.64 seconds. Cox ran the time last week, while Charlton's came at the Big Ten Championships a year ago. Roberson's time is the best in the Big Ten this season, while Cox is still tied for second. She also ranks 23rd in the country.
The women's 4x400m relay team of Symone Black, Carmiesha Cox, Chloe Abbott and Brionna Thomas chased a school record, before settling for the No. 2 time in program history. The four ran together for the first time and were in a heat with Texas, Kentucky and Kansas, some of the best teams in the country. Black led off with a time of 54.17 seconds which had Purdue in third, just 0.02 of a second behind second. Cox took the stick and got the Boilermakers into second after splitting 54.00 seconds, but the team was still 3.92 seconds behind Texas. Abbott ran a great leg and was able to close the gap after splitting 53.32 seconds, but the Longhorns were still 2.78 seconds ahead. Then Thomas took the stick and slowly made her move. She gained ground until the final turn, where she used a strong kick to pass the Longhorns and hold them off at the line. Thomas' 53.00-seconds split gave the team a time of 3:34.48, which is the best in the Big Ten this season and ranks 11th in the country.
The men's 4x400m relay had its best day of the season as well. The team of Kinard Rolle, Malcolm Dotson, Kyle Webb and Shanwdail McLaren battled Utah State, Albany and Houston. Rolle got things started with an opening leg of 47.41 seconds putting Purdue in second. Dotson then took the stick and gave the Boilermakers the lead after splitting 46.97 seconds. Webb held serve with a leg of 47.38 seconds, but Utah State was right on his tail. McLaren ran a good final leg, splitting 46.11 seconds to give Purdue a season-best time of 3:07.85. That time ranks second in program history and fourth in the conference this season.
At the Iowa State Invitational, only Kiara McIntosh was left to compete for Purdue, but she made the wait worth it. McIntosh ran an indoor 800m PR time of 2:07.38. Her time ranks third in school history and fifth in the Big Ten this season.
With two weeks before Big Tens, the majority of the Boilermakers are done competing before the conference meet, while some will head to the Alex Wilson Invite next week. The women currently boast the top time in the conference in the 60m, 200m, 400m, 4x400m relay and the best mark in the long jump. The men have the best time in the 5,000m run.