CHICAGO – Three Boilermakers won events and another two earned top-10 marks in program history as the Purdue track & field team competed at the Wisconsin Midwest Invitational on Saturday at the Track & Field Center at Gately Park in Chicago.
Seniors Jessica Bray and Curt Eckstein and sophomore LJ Hill all earned victories in a field of five Big Ten teams. A pair of sprinters, senior Antonio Mitchell II and junior Kerris Roberts, posted top-10 times in the Purdue record books in the 60-meter dash.
As the Boilermakers competed at their first road meet of the indoor season, they also faced their first Big Ten opponents. Saturday's field featured host-Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State. It was one of the first major meets at the year-old Gately Park indoor track.
Roberts earned the day's first top-10 time, in the 60-meter prelims. She finished in 7.44 seconds, which is tied for the sixth-fastest time in school history. Roberts bested her previous PR of 7.47, which was No. 7 all-time, as she advanced to the final. In the 60-meter final, Roberts was fourth overall in 7.48, while senior Camille Christopher was seventh in 7.61 after a season-best 7.58 in the prelims.
Mitchell II's top-10 time came in the final of the 60m. His mark of 6.77 seconds is 10th-fastest in program history, as he also was fourth in the final. Mitchell improved on his prelim time of 6.80. Also in the final, juniors Tyneilus Morrow and Justin Becker were fifth (6.85) and sixth (6.92), respectively. Morrow was making his Purdue debut on Saturday.
One of the day's first events was the pole vault, where Bray claimed her third win in as many meets to begin the season. She cleared 3.96 meters on her first attempt to notch the victory.
Hill used a season-best jump of 7.27 meters to win the long jump. The mark came on his sixth and final attempt, which just edged out senior teammate Isaiah Martin for the title. Martin jumped 7.25 meters on his fifth attempt to take second.
Eckstein led a 1-2-3 Purdue finish in the 3,000 thanks to a time of 8:09.90. Junior John Pieper was second with a personal-best 8:11.24, followed by freshman Andrew Brandt's PR of 8:13.49 to place third. Pieper and Brandt were two of four Boilermakers to register personal-record times, as the squad took four of the top five finishes in the race.
Purdue finished second and third in the 60-meter hurdles courtesy of a pair of personal-best times by freshmen. Zamen Siyoum was the runner-up in the final in 8.10, while Paul Goins was third in 8.19. Both improved on their prelim times by at least 0.13 seconds.
The Boilermakers also were second and third in the pole vault. Freshman Grant Gogel and sophomore Logan Sandlin each cleared 4.51 meters, though Gogel was second and Sandlin third on misses.
A trio of Boilermakers placed third to lead the team in their events. Junior My'Khiyah Williams registered a third-place high jump finish, as she earned a top mark of 1.66 meters. In the triple jump, freshman Rieko Wilford was third with a mark of 11.93 meters. Senior Kelly Cook Jr. finished third in the weight throw, with a mark of 19.18 meters on his fifth throw.
The meet concluded with the 4x400 relay. The women finished second in 3:43.49 and the men were third in 3:22.43.
Additionally, several personal-best marks were set, by senior Alec Fleming (3,000, 8:18.46), junior Lindsay Absher (pole vault, 3.76m), sophomore Cierra Williams (600, 1:37.07) and freshmen Shianne Dacosta (600, 1:34.78), Ryan Farmer (600, 1:23.36), Morgan Murff (weight throw, 14.33m), Owen Schafer (600, 1:24.00), Payne Turney (mile, 4:55.42) and Caleb Williams (8:35.70). Sophomore Naomi Campbell (60, 7.74) tied her PR.
Next weekend, Purdue competes at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa. The team's first multi-day meet of the season begins on Friday, January 21, and concludes on Saturday, January 22.
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.
Seniors Jessica Bray and Curt Eckstein and sophomore LJ Hill all earned victories in a field of five Big Ten teams. A pair of sprinters, senior Antonio Mitchell II and junior Kerris Roberts, posted top-10 times in the Purdue record books in the 60-meter dash.
As the Boilermakers competed at their first road meet of the indoor season, they also faced their first Big Ten opponents. Saturday's field featured host-Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State. It was one of the first major meets at the year-old Gately Park indoor track.
Roberts earned the day's first top-10 time, in the 60-meter prelims. She finished in 7.44 seconds, which is tied for the sixth-fastest time in school history. Roberts bested her previous PR of 7.47, which was No. 7 all-time, as she advanced to the final. In the 60-meter final, Roberts was fourth overall in 7.48, while senior Camille Christopher was seventh in 7.61 after a season-best 7.58 in the prelims.
Mitchell II's top-10 time came in the final of the 60m. His mark of 6.77 seconds is 10th-fastest in program history, as he also was fourth in the final. Mitchell improved on his prelim time of 6.80. Also in the final, juniors Tyneilus Morrow and Justin Becker were fifth (6.85) and sixth (6.92), respectively. Morrow was making his Purdue debut on Saturday.
One of the day's first events was the pole vault, where Bray claimed her third win in as many meets to begin the season. She cleared 3.96 meters on her first attempt to notch the victory.
Hill used a season-best jump of 7.27 meters to win the long jump. The mark came on his sixth and final attempt, which just edged out senior teammate Isaiah Martin for the title. Martin jumped 7.25 meters on his fifth attempt to take second.
Eckstein led a 1-2-3 Purdue finish in the 3,000 thanks to a time of 8:09.90. Junior John Pieper was second with a personal-best 8:11.24, followed by freshman Andrew Brandt's PR of 8:13.49 to place third. Pieper and Brandt were two of four Boilermakers to register personal-record times, as the squad took four of the top five finishes in the race.
Purdue finished second and third in the 60-meter hurdles courtesy of a pair of personal-best times by freshmen. Zamen Siyoum was the runner-up in the final in 8.10, while Paul Goins was third in 8.19. Both improved on their prelim times by at least 0.13 seconds.
The Boilermakers also were second and third in the pole vault. Freshman Grant Gogel and sophomore Logan Sandlin each cleared 4.51 meters, though Gogel was second and Sandlin third on misses.
A trio of Boilermakers placed third to lead the team in their events. Junior My'Khiyah Williams registered a third-place high jump finish, as she earned a top mark of 1.66 meters. In the triple jump, freshman Rieko Wilford was third with a mark of 11.93 meters. Senior Kelly Cook Jr. finished third in the weight throw, with a mark of 19.18 meters on his fifth throw.
The meet concluded with the 4x400 relay. The women finished second in 3:43.49 and the men were third in 3:22.43.
Additionally, several personal-best marks were set, by senior Alec Fleming (3,000, 8:18.46), junior Lindsay Absher (pole vault, 3.76m), sophomore Cierra Williams (600, 1:37.07) and freshmen Shianne Dacosta (600, 1:34.78), Ryan Farmer (600, 1:23.36), Morgan Murff (weight throw, 14.33m), Owen Schafer (600, 1:24.00), Payne Turney (mile, 4:55.42) and Caleb Williams (8:35.70). Sophomore Naomi Campbell (60, 7.74) tied her PR.
Next weekend, Purdue competes at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa. The team's first multi-day meet of the season begins on Friday, January 21, and concludes on Saturday, January 22.
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.