Saturday Results / Final Results
DES MOINES, Iowa - Devynne Charlton broke the 100-meter hurdles school record, was part of a relay school record and the Boilermakers won three events Saturday at the rainy Drake Relays. Symone Black and Obokhare Ikpefan swept the women's and men's 400-meter hurdles becoming just the second duo from the same school to do so in Drake Relays history.
A day after Black's hurdle victory, Ikpefan was looking for his first individual Drake Relays title after finishing third in the 400m hurdles a year ago. Saturday, he was up against Big Ten leader David Kendziera of Illinois, among a talented field. Ikpefan got out to an early lead that he was able to take with him to the home stretch. There, battling the rain and wet track, the senior held on for the win with a time of 51.20 seconds. Ikpefan is the first Purdue man to win the event at Drake.
"I knew it was going to be a tough race coming in because the field was really good," Ikpefan said. "I just took it out and I was lucky to come off the turn in the lead. I came to the last hurdle and my eyes were covering in water (from the rain). I couldn't see the last the hurdles, so I stuttered a little bit, but I got over it and got the win. It's exciting because I'm pretty much where I want to be at this point in the season. Hopefully, I can keep progressing and run 49-low or 48-point."
The women's shuttle hurdle relay team won for the second time in program history and broke the school record in the process. Charlton gave the Boilermakers a lead after a great first leg, unofficially in the 12.7-second range. From there, Savannah Roberson and Black were able to maintain a lead of about five meters, before Shantrya Delaney brought it home for the win. The team finished with a time of 53.85 seconds. That time is the fastest by a winning division I program in the event since 2001 and broke the school record - set by Charlton, Delaney, Black and Cierra Brown at the Drake Relays in 2015 - by 0.80 of a second.
Later, Charlton was the only collegian in the elite section of the women's 100m hurdles. She was up against seven of the top-10 100m hurdles, including world-record holder Kendra Harrison of the United States, Rio Olympics bronze medalist Kristi Castlin, and Olympic finalists Cindy Ofili and Tiffany Porter, who finished fourth and seventh, respectively, at that race. Saturday, Charlton had the fastest start of the entire field and had a lead after three hurdles. From there, she closed out the race with a wind-legal (+1.0) time of 12.89 seconds on the rainy track. Charlton finished fifth in the race and was ahead of Castlin, Ofili and Porter.
Charlton's time ranks sixth in the NCAA this season and is the top time in the Big Ten. Her time is also among the 20 fastest times in the world for 2017.
The women's 4x400-meter relay team was the last event of the day for the Boilermakers. The team of Jahneya Mitchell, Brionna Thomas, Carmiesha Cox and Chloe Abbott was looking for Purdue's first ever win in the event at the Drake Relays. Mitchell led things off and gave the Boilermakers a lead after splitting an unofficial time of 54.0 seconds. Then it was Thomas' turn and she kept the Boilermakers in front with an unofficial split of 53.6 seconds. Cox took the stick and kept Purdue's narrow lead with an official split of 53.47 seconds. Freshman Abbott then brought it home with the best leg of the day, closing in 53.14 seconds on the wet track. The team finished with a time of 3:34.31 to beat last year's champion Ohio State by 0.92 of a second.
Elsewhere Saturday, Delaney finished fifth in the women's university 100m hurdles finals. She ran a time of 13.52 seconds (+2.3), which is within 0.12 of a second of her career best. The women's sprint medley relay team finished fourth with a time of 3:56.70. Sekayi Bracey took the opening 200m leg, before handing the stick to Myia Dorsey for the second 200m leg. Then it was Samara Miller's turn to run the 400m leg. She then handed off to Susan Hubbard for the closing 800 meters.
Caleb Fricke took sixth in the collegiate men's discus competition. Dealing with less than optimal throwing conditions and a slippery ring, the senior threw 53.01m (173-11). Also, the men's sprint medley relay team finished fourth on the day. Kyle Webb ran the opening 200 meters, before handing to Shawndail McLaren for the second 200 meters. Then it was Justin Veteto who ran the 400 meters and Chris Bluish brought the stick across with his final 800 meters. The team finished with a time of 3:26.09.
The Boilermakers are done until the Big Ten Championships in two weeks. That meet will be hosted by Penn State.