Eckstein’s School Record Highlights Season-Opening MeetEckstein’s School Record Highlights Season-Opening Meet

Eckstein’s School Record Highlights Season-Opening Meet

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Senior Curt Eckstein broke the 3,000-meter school record as the Purdue track & field team opened the 2021 indoor season at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Saturday.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Senior Curt Eckstein broke the 3,000-meter school record as the Purdue track & field team opened the 2021 indoor season at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Saturday.
 
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Eckstein set the Purdue record with a time of 7:59.30 in the 3,000-meter run. He was joined by sophomore Jayla Ellis and freshman K'Ja Talley to place in the top-10 in the team record books.
 
Along with the top-10 times, Purdue won three events and earned two second-place finishes. Seven Boilermakers set personal-best marks, while another three made their collegiate debuts, including Talley in two events.
 
"I am really pleased with the performances our team achieved today," Purdue coach Norbert Elliott said. "We took a relatively small group of athletes we thought could compete well and healthily after a long layoff, and they really performed well. It's hard to achieve a personal-best mark considering the long layoff, and we had several today, which was great to see. Overall a really good meet, we came out healthy and can resume training and see what next week has in store for us."
 
A total of 15 student-athletes, nine men and six women, represented Purdue in 10 events at the U-M Indoor Track Building. The Boilermakers competed against host-Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State.
 
"Curt Eckstein ran really well to set a school record and was one of several distance runners who set PRs." Elliott added. "Long jumper LJ Hill finished first with an extraordinary effort. Our women had a great meet as well, and Alexis Zatta's high jump mark is one of the best in the country. Jayla Ellis and K'Ja Talley both made the finals and moved up among the best hurdlers in school history. Emma Tate also ran really well and won her heat while setting a PR."
 
Eckstein, who already held the fifth-fastest time in school history in the 3,000, bested his previous-best time by more than five seconds to set the new Purdue record by 1.37 seconds with his 7:59.30. He placed second overall in the race, as he also broke the previous meet and facility record to go along with his team record.
 
Ellis and Talley also notched top-10 times in Purdue history in the 60-meter hurdles. In her first race as a Boilermaker, Talley finished the prelims in 8.55 seconds, which was tied for 10th-fastest all-time, set by Ellis last season. However, Ellis reclaimed sole possession of 10th place with a time of 8.52 in the finals.
 
Both Ellis and Talley advanced to the 60-meter hurdles finals. Ellis' 8.52 was good for fourth and Talley was fifth, in 8.67 seconds.
 
Junior Alexis Zatta, sophomore Johnny Vanos and freshman LJ Hill all won their events. Zatta won the high jump and earned a personal-best mark with a winning jump of 1.78 meters. Vanos had a throw of 19.11 meters to earn the win in the weight throw. Hill's victory came in the long jump with a mark of 7.20 meters in his career debut.
 
Senior Jalil Brewer finished second in the shot put with a throw of 18.56 meters. Vanos was seventh with a mark of 15.30. In the women's event, sophomore Amaya King placed fourth with a 13.52.
 
Eckstein was one of five Boilermakers, four men and one woman, to earn a personal-best time in the 3,000. Sophomore Blake Selm finished in 8:19.66, for a PR of more than 10 seconds to place 11th, junior Alec Fleming finished in 8:25.76 (16th) and sophomore Ian Hunter's PR came in 8:27.24 (18th). Additionally, junior Bailey McIntire placed 10th overall (8:16.82) and sophomore Andrew Brandt made his collegiate debut and finished in 17th in 8:27.11.
 
Sophomore Emma Tate added a personal-record time by more than 29 seconds in the women's race. She finished in 9:46.96 and finished 13th overall.

In the pole vault, junior Jessica Bray placed fourth overall with a jump of 3.76 meters.
 
Talley also competed in the 200-meter dash, where she finished sixth in 24.89.
 
Purdue is back in action next weekend when it travels to in-state rival Indiana, on Jan. 23. The meet is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET, and the Boilermakers are scheduled to compete against Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.
 
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.