WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue track & field team concluded the weekend with another strong day of competition, highlighted by a top-10 school mark and Canadian Under-20 record by freshman Praise Aniamaka on Saturday.
Aniamaka and fellow freshman Rieko Wilford notched top-10 marks in program history, with Aniamaka's also breaking the indoor record by a U-20 Canadian. Additionally, fifth-year seniors Kelly Cook Jr. and Tamar Greene and junior My'Khiyah Williams all finished in the top three in their events to conclude the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Indiana.
In total this weekend, Purdue had six top-10 marks in the school record books and earned one win, two runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes. Fifteen personal-best marks also were set as the sprinters, jumpers and throwers competed at Nutter Field House in Lexington and the distance runners raced at Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington.
Aniamaka and Wilford both earned their top-10 marks in the triple jump. Aniamaka rose one spot to No. 6 in the men's top-10, while Wilford made her first appearance with a jump that tied for No. 10 on the women's list.
On his first attempt of the day, Aniamaka jumped 15.89 meters. As he moved up to No. 6 on Purdue's all-time list, he broke the Canadian U-20 record of 15.78m, set by Patrick Hanna on December 6, 2015. A native of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Aniamaka bested his previous PR of 15.75m, which was No. 7 at Purdue.
Aniamaka was fourth overall in the event and just behind Greene, who was third thanks to a season-best jump of 15.95m on his sixth and final attempt. Greene and Aniamaka notched the second- and third-best marks in the Big Ten this season.
Wilford put her name in the record book with a jump of 12.34m. That is tied for No. 10 in program history and she becomes the first Boilermaker to make the top-10 in the event since 2016. The mark came on Wilford's final attempt, which moved her into sixth place in the event and is the ninth-best jump in the Big Ten this year.
Williams earned Purdue's best finish of the day when she was second in the high jump. She cleared 1.68m, just shy of matching her personal-best, and has placed in the top three in all five meets this season.
Cook Jr. earned his second top-three finish of the weekend. After he was second in the weight throw on Friday, he was third in the shot put on Saturday with a mark of 17.75m. It came on his fifth attempt, which moved him up to third.
Senior Isaiah Martin was fourth in the heptathlon with 5,512 points, the eighth-best total in the country in 2022. He ran the fastest 60m hurdle time of 8.24 seconds to begin the day, and also tied his personal-best pole vault mark with a clearance of 4.40m.
Five Boilermakers earned collegiate-best marks on Saturday, as junior Ellie Tate (4:57.56, mile), sophomores Payne Turney (2:13.37, 800m) and Katelyn Wasson (9:54.36, 3,000m) and freshmen Shianne Dacosta (54.99, 400m) and Zamen Siyoum (8.10, 60m hurdles) had PRs. Additionally, juniors Amaya King (15.17m, shot put), Annamaria Leszczynska (56.51, 400m), John Pieper (4:12.67, mile) and Safin Wills (15.47m, triple jump), sophomore LJ Hill (15.05m, triple jump) and the women's 4x400 relay team (3:40.55) notched season-best marks.
On Friday, senior Johnny Vanos won the weight throw with the sixth-best mark in school history, senior Jessica Bray registered the No. 3-ranked pole vault clearance all-time and senior Tyler Bowling and sophomore Andrew Brandt ran the eighth and 10th-fastest 5,000-meter races in the Boilermaker record books. Cook Jr. and fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein were third in the weight throw and 5,000m, respectively. A complete recap of the first day can be found at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Purdue faced 16 other teams at UK, including host-Kentucky and Big Ten foes Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin. At IU, the competition in the distance races included host-Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Up next, February begins when Purdue competes at the Meyo Classic, hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, from February 4-5.
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.
Aniamaka and fellow freshman Rieko Wilford notched top-10 marks in program history, with Aniamaka's also breaking the indoor record by a U-20 Canadian. Additionally, fifth-year seniors Kelly Cook Jr. and Tamar Greene and junior My'Khiyah Williams all finished in the top three in their events to conclude the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Indiana.
In total this weekend, Purdue had six top-10 marks in the school record books and earned one win, two runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes. Fifteen personal-best marks also were set as the sprinters, jumpers and throwers competed at Nutter Field House in Lexington and the distance runners raced at Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington.
Aniamaka and Wilford both earned their top-10 marks in the triple jump. Aniamaka rose one spot to No. 6 in the men's top-10, while Wilford made her first appearance with a jump that tied for No. 10 on the women's list.
On his first attempt of the day, Aniamaka jumped 15.89 meters. As he moved up to No. 6 on Purdue's all-time list, he broke the Canadian U-20 record of 15.78m, set by Patrick Hanna on December 6, 2015. A native of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Aniamaka bested his previous PR of 15.75m, which was No. 7 at Purdue.
Aniamaka was fourth overall in the event and just behind Greene, who was third thanks to a season-best jump of 15.95m on his sixth and final attempt. Greene and Aniamaka notched the second- and third-best marks in the Big Ten this season.
Wilford put her name in the record book with a jump of 12.34m. That is tied for No. 10 in program history and she becomes the first Boilermaker to make the top-10 in the event since 2016. The mark came on Wilford's final attempt, which moved her into sixth place in the event and is the ninth-best jump in the Big Ten this year.
Williams earned Purdue's best finish of the day when she was second in the high jump. She cleared 1.68m, just shy of matching her personal-best, and has placed in the top three in all five meets this season.
Cook Jr. earned his second top-three finish of the weekend. After he was second in the weight throw on Friday, he was third in the shot put on Saturday with a mark of 17.75m. It came on his fifth attempt, which moved him up to third.
Senior Isaiah Martin was fourth in the heptathlon with 5,512 points, the eighth-best total in the country in 2022. He ran the fastest 60m hurdle time of 8.24 seconds to begin the day, and also tied his personal-best pole vault mark with a clearance of 4.40m.
Five Boilermakers earned collegiate-best marks on Saturday, as junior Ellie Tate (4:57.56, mile), sophomores Payne Turney (2:13.37, 800m) and Katelyn Wasson (9:54.36, 3,000m) and freshmen Shianne Dacosta (54.99, 400m) and Zamen Siyoum (8.10, 60m hurdles) had PRs. Additionally, juniors Amaya King (15.17m, shot put), Annamaria Leszczynska (56.51, 400m), John Pieper (4:12.67, mile) and Safin Wills (15.47m, triple jump), sophomore LJ Hill (15.05m, triple jump) and the women's 4x400 relay team (3:40.55) notched season-best marks.
On Friday, senior Johnny Vanos won the weight throw with the sixth-best mark in school history, senior Jessica Bray registered the No. 3-ranked pole vault clearance all-time and senior Tyler Bowling and sophomore Andrew Brandt ran the eighth and 10th-fastest 5,000-meter races in the Boilermaker record books. Cook Jr. and fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein were third in the weight throw and 5,000m, respectively. A complete recap of the first day can be found at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Purdue faced 16 other teams at UK, including host-Kentucky and Big Ten foes Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin. At IU, the competition in the distance races included host-Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Up next, February begins when Purdue competes at the Meyo Classic, hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, from February 4-5.
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.