WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Obokhare Ikpefan was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday. The senior 400-meter hurdler won his race at the LSU Battle on the Bayou with a top-10 time in the country.
Ikpefan ran a time of 50.36 seconds to win his race by nearly four seconds. His time is second in the Big Ten this season, just 0.01 of a second behind the Big Ten leader. His time was also the third fastest collegiately in the country from competitions held over the weekend.
The award is the first of Ikpefan's outdoor career. He is the first Purdue man to be named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season since Andrew Kendrick in 2014. Ikpefan joins Eric Blackman as Purdue men honored this outdoor season after Blackman was named the field athlete of the week March 22.
Ikpefan and the Boilermakers are back in action this weekend at the Louisville Invitational. The meet runs Friday and Saturday.