WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue track & field team earned one win and four top-10 marks in program history on Friday to highlight the opening day of the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Indiana.
Senior Johnny Vanos won the weight throw with the sixth-best mark in school history while fellow senior Jessica Bray registered the No. 3-ranked pole vault clearance all-time as the sprinters, jumpers and throwers competed at Nutter Field House in Lexington. Meanwhile, senior Tyler Bowling and sophomore Andrew Brandt ran the eighth and 10th-fastest 5,000-meter races in the Boilermaker record books as the distance runners raced at Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington.
Additionally, a pair of fifth-year seniors earned top-three finishes. Kelly Cook Jr. was just behind Vanos in the weight throw in second place, while Curt Eckstein led Purdue in the 5,000m, as he crossed the finish line in third place. Senior Isaiah Martin also is in the middle of the heptathlon, and he sits in second place through four events.
Both meets are two-day events, the second multi-day meet in as many weeks for the Boilermakers. Purdue is competing against 16 other teams at UK, including host-Kentucky and Big Ten foes Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin. At IU, the field in the distance races includes host-Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Vanos' winning weight throw mark of 20.77 meters improves his place at No. 6 in program history. The throw came on his fifth attempt, though his four best throws all would have been good enough for the win. Vanos' third win of the year in the event came courtesy of the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten this year. Right behind Vanos was Cook Jr., who earned a mark of 19.49m on his third attempt to place second.
Bray also registered a personal-best performance, as she cleared 4.21m in the pole vault. That moved her up one spot on Purdue's all-time list to No. 3, as she recorded the best mark in the event in school history since 2010. Bray was one of five finishers to have a maximum clearance of 4.21m, though she finished fifth overall on misses.
Purdue had an impressive showing in the 5,000m at the Indiana Relays. Eckstein was third overall in 14:02.17, which is the third-fastest time in the conference this season. Bowling and Brandt placed eighth and 10th, respectively, both with top-10 times in Boilermaker history. Bowling's time of 14:10.34 moved him up one place to eighth, from ninth, while Brandt's 14:16.35 saw him appear in the record book for the first time at No. 10. Bowling's mark is sixth and Brandt's is seventh in the Big Ten in 2022.
The heptathlon opened the day at the Rod McCravy Memorial, as Martin made his season debut in the event. After the first day, with four events completed and three to go, he is in second place with 3,090 points. Just 96 points separate second through fifth place. Friday was highlighted by a long jump win, with a third and final-attempt jump of 7.01 meters. Martin also posted a personal-best high jump clearance of 1.98m, a season-best shot put mark of 13.33m and a 60m time of 7.23 seconds to finish third in all three events.
Two Boilermakers placed in the top six in the 200m thanks to season-best times. Junior Kerris Roberts was fourth overall in 24.00 and senior Camille Christopher was sixth in 24.08. They are the fifth and sixth-fastest times in the conference this season, respectively.
In a deep field of runners in the 60m and 60m hurdles, six Boilermakers advanced past the first round to the semifinals. In the women's 60m, junior Saran Kouyeth (7.52) and Roberts (7.54) each moved on, while fifth-year senior Antonio Mitchell (6.84) qualified in the men's 60m. Sophomores K'Ja Talley (8.58) and Nikia Smith (8.60) advanced in the women's 60m hurdles, while freshman Zamen Siyoum qualified in the men's 60m hurdles. Both the semifinal and final in all four events will be contested on Saturday.
Sophomore Gage Ernsberger tied a season-best high jump clearance with a mark of 2.00m, as he was fourth overall.
Four Boilermakers also notched personal-best marks, in addition to Brandt, Bray, Bowling and Vanos' PRs that appear in the record books. Juniors Jabari Bryant (1:21.57 in the 600m) and Saran Kouyeth (24.63 in the 200m) and sophomores LJ Hill (7.07 in the 60m) and Cierra Williams (25.11 in the 200m) all topped their previous collegiate-best times.
Action in both Lexington and Bloomington concludes on Saturday. The Rod McCravy Memorial begins with the final three heptathlon events at 9:30 a.m. ET. Field events commence at 10 a.m. and running events start at noon, and Purdue's final race is at 3:10 p.m. At the Indiana Relays, the Boilermakers' first race is at 11:30 a.m. and their fifth and final event is at 1:30 p.m.
Fans can follow along from Lexington with live results and the meet schedule at UKathletics.com, and SECN+ will have a live stream beginning at noon. Action from Bloomington is available with live results and the meet schedule at IUHoosiers.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page 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.
Senior Johnny Vanos won the weight throw with the sixth-best mark in school history while fellow senior Jessica Bray registered the No. 3-ranked pole vault clearance all-time as the sprinters, jumpers and throwers competed at Nutter Field House in Lexington. Meanwhile, senior Tyler Bowling and sophomore Andrew Brandt ran the eighth and 10th-fastest 5,000-meter races in the Boilermaker record books as the distance runners raced at Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington.
Additionally, a pair of fifth-year seniors earned top-three finishes. Kelly Cook Jr. was just behind Vanos in the weight throw in second place, while Curt Eckstein led Purdue in the 5,000m, as he crossed the finish line in third place. Senior Isaiah Martin also is in the middle of the heptathlon, and he sits in second place through four events.
Both meets are two-day events, the second multi-day meet in as many weeks for the Boilermakers. Purdue is competing against 16 other teams at UK, including host-Kentucky and Big Ten foes Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin. At IU, the field in the distance races includes host-Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Vanos' winning weight throw mark of 20.77 meters improves his place at No. 6 in program history. The throw came on his fifth attempt, though his four best throws all would have been good enough for the win. Vanos' third win of the year in the event came courtesy of the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten this year. Right behind Vanos was Cook Jr., who earned a mark of 19.49m on his third attempt to place second.
Bray also registered a personal-best performance, as she cleared 4.21m in the pole vault. That moved her up one spot on Purdue's all-time list to No. 3, as she recorded the best mark in the event in school history since 2010. Bray was one of five finishers to have a maximum clearance of 4.21m, though she finished fifth overall on misses.
Purdue had an impressive showing in the 5,000m at the Indiana Relays. Eckstein was third overall in 14:02.17, which is the third-fastest time in the conference this season. Bowling and Brandt placed eighth and 10th, respectively, both with top-10 times in Boilermaker history. Bowling's time of 14:10.34 moved him up one place to eighth, from ninth, while Brandt's 14:16.35 saw him appear in the record book for the first time at No. 10. Bowling's mark is sixth and Brandt's is seventh in the Big Ten in 2022.
The heptathlon opened the day at the Rod McCravy Memorial, as Martin made his season debut in the event. After the first day, with four events completed and three to go, he is in second place with 3,090 points. Just 96 points separate second through fifth place. Friday was highlighted by a long jump win, with a third and final-attempt jump of 7.01 meters. Martin also posted a personal-best high jump clearance of 1.98m, a season-best shot put mark of 13.33m and a 60m time of 7.23 seconds to finish third in all three events.
Two Boilermakers placed in the top six in the 200m thanks to season-best times. Junior Kerris Roberts was fourth overall in 24.00 and senior Camille Christopher was sixth in 24.08. They are the fifth and sixth-fastest times in the conference this season, respectively.
In a deep field of runners in the 60m and 60m hurdles, six Boilermakers advanced past the first round to the semifinals. In the women's 60m, junior Saran Kouyeth (7.52) and Roberts (7.54) each moved on, while fifth-year senior Antonio Mitchell (6.84) qualified in the men's 60m. Sophomores K'Ja Talley (8.58) and Nikia Smith (8.60) advanced in the women's 60m hurdles, while freshman Zamen Siyoum qualified in the men's 60m hurdles. Both the semifinal and final in all four events will be contested on Saturday.
Sophomore Gage Ernsberger tied a season-best high jump clearance with a mark of 2.00m, as he was fourth overall.
Four Boilermakers also notched personal-best marks, in addition to Brandt, Bray, Bowling and Vanos' PRs that appear in the record books. Juniors Jabari Bryant (1:21.57 in the 600m) and Saran Kouyeth (24.63 in the 200m) and sophomores LJ Hill (7.07 in the 60m) and Cierra Williams (25.11 in the 200m) all topped their previous collegiate-best times.
Action in both Lexington and Bloomington concludes on Saturday. The Rod McCravy Memorial begins with the final three heptathlon events at 9:30 a.m. ET. Field events commence at 10 a.m. and running events start at noon, and Purdue's final race is at 3:10 p.m. At the Indiana Relays, the Boilermakers' first race is at 11:30 a.m. and their fifth and final event is at 1:30 p.m.
Fans can follow along from Lexington with live results and the meet schedule at UKathletics.com, and SECN+ will have a live stream beginning at noon. Action from Bloomington is available with live results and the meet schedule at IUHoosiers.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page 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.