JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Boilermakers advanced to the quarterfinals and three top-five marks in program history were set by the Purdue track & field team as the women made their debut at the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
Sophomore Camille Christopher reached to the 100-meter quarterfinals and freshman K'Ja Talley advanced to the 400 hurdle quarterfinals, while Christopher, in both the 100 and 200, and sophomore Jessica Bray in the pole vault, recorded marks that rank in the top-five in the Purdue record books.
Christopher and Talley moved on from Thursday's 48-competitor first-round field to Saturday's 24-runner quarterfinals. The top 12 finishers on Saturday advance to the national semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9-12.
In the first round of the 100, Christopher finished 21st overall in 11.47 seconds. That moved her up to fifth in team history, from sixth. The sophomore qualified for the quarterfinals by 0.04 seconds as one of six non-automatic qualifiers. Christopher entered the race seeded No. 39 overall.
Talley advanced out of the first round in the 400 hurdles with a time of 58.78. The personal-best mark is just shy of a spot in the Purdue record books. Talley was 18th overall in the event and third in the first heat to earn an automatic berth in Saturday's quarterfinals. She was seeded 40th overall in the 48-racer field.
Bray cleared 4.17 meters in the pole vault, the third-best mark in Purdue history and a personal-best jump by 0.17 meters. She finished 16th overall after being seeded 47th. Today was the end of the season for the Fishers, Indiana, native, as she competed at her first NCAA East Prelims.
Christopher's day concluded in the 200, where she finished in 23.58, the fifth-fastest time in school history. She was just 0.09 seconds away from a second appearance in the quarterfinals. Christopher's 26th-place finish came after she was seeded No. 34.
Freshman Annamaria Leszczynska also ran the 400 hurdles and was 29th overall with a time of 59.36. The race concluded Leszczynska's season, as the Nicholls, Australia, native, qualified for her first NCAA prelims.
Two Boilermakers ran in the 400, as senior Samara Miller finished 35th in 54.03 and freshman Cierra Williams was 40th in 54.64. Both will run again on Saturday in the 4x400 relay.
Junior Tessa Sheets joined Bray in the pole vault and cleared 3.92 meters to finish 37th overall. Sheets, from Chatham County, North Carolina, was seeded No. 46 overall, and her season ends at her debut NCAA meet.
The four-day NCAA East Prelims continues when the men return to action on Friday, May 28, and the women conclude the meet on Saturday, May 29. On Friday, field events for the Boilermakers begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, and running events commence at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, field events start at 1 p.m. and running events get underway at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can follow all the action with live results, a live video stream (Thursday | Friday | Saturday), and the event schedule. Direct links are available on the track & field schedule page on PurdueSports.com/TrackField and on North Florida's East Prelims headquarters page. Additional updates can be found by following the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Twenty Boilermakers, 11 women and nine men, qualified in 25 total events. The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in each event advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9-12.
On Wednesday, senior Samson Colebrooke and freshman Marcellus Moore each advanced to Friday's quarterfinals in both the 100- and 200-meter. Colebrooke's 100 time was the second-fastest in school history. The duo were two of six Boilermakers to compete a total of nine times on the opening day of competition. A complete recap is available at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Sophomore Camille Christopher reached to the 100-meter quarterfinals and freshman K'Ja Talley advanced to the 400 hurdle quarterfinals, while Christopher, in both the 100 and 200, and sophomore Jessica Bray in the pole vault, recorded marks that rank in the top-five in the Purdue record books.
Christopher and Talley moved on from Thursday's 48-competitor first-round field to Saturday's 24-runner quarterfinals. The top 12 finishers on Saturday advance to the national semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9-12.
In the first round of the 100, Christopher finished 21st overall in 11.47 seconds. That moved her up to fifth in team history, from sixth. The sophomore qualified for the quarterfinals by 0.04 seconds as one of six non-automatic qualifiers. Christopher entered the race seeded No. 39 overall.
Talley advanced out of the first round in the 400 hurdles with a time of 58.78. The personal-best mark is just shy of a spot in the Purdue record books. Talley was 18th overall in the event and third in the first heat to earn an automatic berth in Saturday's quarterfinals. She was seeded 40th overall in the 48-racer field.
Bray cleared 4.17 meters in the pole vault, the third-best mark in Purdue history and a personal-best jump by 0.17 meters. She finished 16th overall after being seeded 47th. Today was the end of the season for the Fishers, Indiana, native, as she competed at her first NCAA East Prelims.
The jump that put Jessica Bray 3rd in school history. ⬆️#BoilerUp 🚂 #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/6NIWWZAE7J
— Purdue Track & Field / Cross Country (@PurdueTrackXC) May 27, 2021
Christopher's day concluded in the 200, where she finished in 23.58, the fifth-fastest time in school history. She was just 0.09 seconds away from a second appearance in the quarterfinals. Christopher's 26th-place finish came after she was seeded No. 34.
Freshman Annamaria Leszczynska also ran the 400 hurdles and was 29th overall with a time of 59.36. The race concluded Leszczynska's season, as the Nicholls, Australia, native, qualified for her first NCAA prelims.
Two Boilermakers ran in the 400, as senior Samara Miller finished 35th in 54.03 and freshman Cierra Williams was 40th in 54.64. Both will run again on Saturday in the 4x400 relay.
Junior Tessa Sheets joined Bray in the pole vault and cleared 3.92 meters to finish 37th overall. Sheets, from Chatham County, North Carolina, was seeded No. 46 overall, and her season ends at her debut NCAA meet.
The four-day NCAA East Prelims continues when the men return to action on Friday, May 28, and the women conclude the meet on Saturday, May 29. On Friday, field events for the Boilermakers begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, and running events commence at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, field events start at 1 p.m. and running events get underway at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can follow all the action with live results, a live video stream (Thursday | Friday | Saturday), and the event schedule. Direct links are available on the track & field schedule page on PurdueSports.com/TrackField and on North Florida's East Prelims headquarters page. Additional updates can be found by following the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Twenty Boilermakers, 11 women and nine men, qualified in 25 total events. The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in each event advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9-12.
On Wednesday, senior Samson Colebrooke and freshman Marcellus Moore each advanced to Friday's quarterfinals in both the 100- and 200-meter. Colebrooke's 100 time was the second-fastest in school history. The duo were two of six Boilermakers to compete a total of nine times on the opening day of competition. A complete recap is available at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.