STILLWATER, Okla. – The Purdue men's cross country team concluded its season with a 29th-place finish at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Monday.
On a windy afternoon at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course, the Boilermakers made their third consecutive national championships and 15th in program history. Senior Curt Eckstein led Purdue with a 94th-place finish on the 10k course.
With today's NCAA appearance, this year's team joins the 1946-50 Boilermakers as the only squads in Purdue history to race at three consecutive national championships. Prior to 2018, the last time the team qualified for NCAAs was 1986.
Eckstein finished 94th in 31:30.0. Fellow senior Joey Humes was 152nd with a time of 32:14.8, after he moved up 54 spots in the final 6k. Meanwhile, junior Bailey McIntire placed 187th in 32:39.3 and improved his placing by 30 spots in the second half of the race.
Sophomore Andrew Brandt and Blake Selm were 218th and 221st, respectively. Brandt finished in 33:19.4 and Selm crossed the finish line in 33:29.2. Both runners moved up in the final standings by at least 20 spots in the second half of the race.
Senior Brody Smith was 233rd in 34:38.4. Through 4k, junior Tyler Bowling was in 129th place overall, but sustained an injury and was unable to continue.
"Today was not our best showing," Purdue track & field and cross country head coach Norbert Elliott said. "It was a tough competition, and we competed hard. Our younger guys will learn from this experience as we prepare for next year, and the whole team will take something from this as we look ahead to the upcoming outdoor season."
Purdue was one of just four Big Ten teams to qualify for the national championship meet.
Monday was the second and final meet of the season for the men's cross country team after they placed third at the Big Ten Championships on Jan. 30. Purdue was in the top four for a third consecutive season for the first time since 1948.
The Purdue track & field team continues competition with the outdoor season, and the schedule will be announced when it is finalized.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/CrossCountry and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
On a windy afternoon at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course, the Boilermakers made their third consecutive national championships and 15th in program history. Senior Curt Eckstein led Purdue with a 94th-place finish on the 10k course.
With today's NCAA appearance, this year's team joins the 1946-50 Boilermakers as the only squads in Purdue history to race at three consecutive national championships. Prior to 2018, the last time the team qualified for NCAAs was 1986.
Eckstein finished 94th in 31:30.0. Fellow senior Joey Humes was 152nd with a time of 32:14.8, after he moved up 54 spots in the final 6k. Meanwhile, junior Bailey McIntire placed 187th in 32:39.3 and improved his placing by 30 spots in the second half of the race.
Sophomore Andrew Brandt and Blake Selm were 218th and 221st, respectively. Brandt finished in 33:19.4 and Selm crossed the finish line in 33:29.2. Both runners moved up in the final standings by at least 20 spots in the second half of the race.
Senior Brody Smith was 233rd in 34:38.4. Through 4k, junior Tyler Bowling was in 129th place overall, but sustained an injury and was unable to continue.
"Today was not our best showing," Purdue track & field and cross country head coach Norbert Elliott said. "It was a tough competition, and we competed hard. Our younger guys will learn from this experience as we prepare for next year, and the whole team will take something from this as we look ahead to the upcoming outdoor season."
Purdue was one of just four Big Ten teams to qualify for the national championship meet.
Monday was the second and final meet of the season for the men's cross country team after they placed third at the Big Ten Championships on Jan. 30. Purdue was in the top four for a third consecutive season for the first time since 1948.
The Purdue track & field team continues competition with the outdoor season, and the schedule will be announced when it is finalized.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/CrossCountry and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.