WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue track & field team won 13 events at the Gene Edmonds Invitational on Saturday at Lambert Fieldhouse in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The Boilermakers' second meet of the season was highlighted by seniors Jessica Bray and Johnny Vanos in the pole vault and weight throw, respectively, as they each recorded victories with marks that are in the top-10 in the NCAA this season and among the best in school history.
Bray and Vanos collected two of Purdue's 13 wins and the Boilermakers added 16 runner-up finishes and claimed both first and second place in nine events. Eight of Purdue's wins came in field events and 17 personal-best marks were achieved.
"It was certainly good to kick off the season with two meets at home," Purdue coach Norbert Elliott said. "It's been a very, very short week for us having a meet coming straight out of the winter holiday break. The good news is we got everybody through this meet healthy and we get to look forward to traveling next week up to Chicago."
Saturday's meet, which was Purdue's final home competition in 2021-22, comes a month after the season-opening Gene Edmonds Open on December 4, also at Lambert Fieldhouse.
Vanos' win came in the weight throw with a mark of 20.65 meters, as he continues to rank No. 6 in school history in the event. The throw is the sixth best in the NCAA this season, and it bested his previous personal record of 20.47m set last February. Vanos' showing led a 1-2 Purdue finish.
Bray cleared 4.16m to win the pole vault. Just shy of her indoor-best mark of 4.17m, Bray would be tied for No. 5 in the Purdue record books if she wasn't already fourth all-time. Today's mark also is ninth in the country this year.
The Boilermakers claimed the top seven finishes in the mile, led by freshman Nathan Walker. His time of 4:11.64 came in his collegiate debut, as two of his teammates notched personal-best mile times (freshman Caleb Williams, 2nd in 4:12.20, and sophomore Alec Fleming, 4th in 4:12.99).
Junior Kerris Roberts won the 60-meter in 7.55 seconds to lead a 1-2-3 finish for Purdue. As senior Camille Christopher finished second, in 7.67, sophomore Naomi Campbell was third with a personal-best 7.73.
Junior Safin Wills won the long jump and senior Ife Oketona was second. Wills earned a jump of 7.22m, his best as a Boilermaker, and Oketona registered a mark of 7.07m to tie his collegiate best.
Fifth-year senior Kelly Cook Jr. followed up a second-place finish in the weight throw (19.43m) with a victory in the shot put. He notched a mark of 16.66m on his fifth throw for his second shot put win of the season. Additionally, freshman Chris Huisman was second with a PR of 14.60m after he posted a collegiate best-weight throw mark of 14.05m to finish fourth.
Sophomore Payne Turney used a personal-best time of 2:15.31 to win the 800. That led a 1-2-3 Boilermaker finish, and freshman Brenna Shaw's 2:21.77 was a personal record in the event and good for third place.
Purdue also claimed the top three places in the 600, led by freshman Shianne Dacosta. She finished in 1:36.63 to pick up her second win in as many meets to begin her career.
Freshman Morgan Murff began the day with a win in the weight throw. She earned a mark of 13.75m on her fifth attempt to collect her first collegiate win.
In her collegiate debut, freshman Rieko Wilford won the triple jump thanks to a jump of 12.22m.
As she competed in her first event this year, junior Amaya King was victorious in the shot put with a mark of 14.61m.
Junior My'Khiyah Williams was first in the high jump, clearing 1.63m.
The Boilermakers concluded the meet with a win in the men's 4x400 relay, in 3:22.74.
Additional personal-best marks were recorded by junior Lindsay Absher (pole vault: 3.47m, 2nd), sophomores Logan Sandlin (pole vault: 4.53m, 3rd), Nikia Smith (60 hurdles: 8.49, 2nd) and Luke Upton (800: 1:56.97, 3rd) and freshmen Anne Busse (pole vault: 3.62m, 3rd) and Paul Goins (60 hurdles: 8.27, 3rd). Sophomore Gage Ernsberger (high jump: 1.94m, 2nd) and freshman Zamen Siyoum (60 hurdles: 8.23, 2nd) tied their PRs.
Up next, the Boilermakers make the short trip to Chicago for the Wisconsin Midwest Invitational next weekend on Saturday, January 15, at the Track & Field Center at Gately Park. Field events are set for 12:45-5:30 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT and running events will be contested from 3:25-6:30 p.m. ET / 2:25-5:30 p.m. CT, with the final schedule to be set prior to the meet.
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.
The Boilermakers' second meet of the season was highlighted by seniors Jessica Bray and Johnny Vanos in the pole vault and weight throw, respectively, as they each recorded victories with marks that are in the top-10 in the NCAA this season and among the best in school history.
Bray and Vanos collected two of Purdue's 13 wins and the Boilermakers added 16 runner-up finishes and claimed both first and second place in nine events. Eight of Purdue's wins came in field events and 17 personal-best marks were achieved.
"It was certainly good to kick off the season with two meets at home," Purdue coach Norbert Elliott said. "It's been a very, very short week for us having a meet coming straight out of the winter holiday break. The good news is we got everybody through this meet healthy and we get to look forward to traveling next week up to Chicago."
Saturday's meet, which was Purdue's final home competition in 2021-22, comes a month after the season-opening Gene Edmonds Open on December 4, also at Lambert Fieldhouse.
Vanos' win came in the weight throw with a mark of 20.65 meters, as he continues to rank No. 6 in school history in the event. The throw is the sixth best in the NCAA this season, and it bested his previous personal record of 20.47m set last February. Vanos' showing led a 1-2 Purdue finish.
Bray cleared 4.16m to win the pole vault. Just shy of her indoor-best mark of 4.17m, Bray would be tied for No. 5 in the Purdue record books if she wasn't already fourth all-time. Today's mark also is ninth in the country this year.
The Boilermakers claimed the top seven finishes in the mile, led by freshman Nathan Walker. His time of 4:11.64 came in his collegiate debut, as two of his teammates notched personal-best mile times (freshman Caleb Williams, 2nd in 4:12.20, and sophomore Alec Fleming, 4th in 4:12.99).
Junior Kerris Roberts won the 60-meter in 7.55 seconds to lead a 1-2-3 finish for Purdue. As senior Camille Christopher finished second, in 7.67, sophomore Naomi Campbell was third with a personal-best 7.73.
Junior Safin Wills won the long jump and senior Ife Oketona was second. Wills earned a jump of 7.22m, his best as a Boilermaker, and Oketona registered a mark of 7.07m to tie his collegiate best.
Fifth-year senior Kelly Cook Jr. followed up a second-place finish in the weight throw (19.43m) with a victory in the shot put. He notched a mark of 16.66m on his fifth throw for his second shot put win of the season. Additionally, freshman Chris Huisman was second with a PR of 14.60m after he posted a collegiate best-weight throw mark of 14.05m to finish fourth.
Sophomore Payne Turney used a personal-best time of 2:15.31 to win the 800. That led a 1-2-3 Boilermaker finish, and freshman Brenna Shaw's 2:21.77 was a personal record in the event and good for third place.
Purdue also claimed the top three places in the 600, led by freshman Shianne Dacosta. She finished in 1:36.63 to pick up her second win in as many meets to begin her career.
Freshman Morgan Murff began the day with a win in the weight throw. She earned a mark of 13.75m on her fifth attempt to collect her first collegiate win.
In her collegiate debut, freshman Rieko Wilford won the triple jump thanks to a jump of 12.22m.
As she competed in her first event this year, junior Amaya King was victorious in the shot put with a mark of 14.61m.
Junior My'Khiyah Williams was first in the high jump, clearing 1.63m.
The Boilermakers concluded the meet with a win in the men's 4x400 relay, in 3:22.74.
Additional personal-best marks were recorded by junior Lindsay Absher (pole vault: 3.47m, 2nd), sophomores Logan Sandlin (pole vault: 4.53m, 3rd), Nikia Smith (60 hurdles: 8.49, 2nd) and Luke Upton (800: 1:56.97, 3rd) and freshmen Anne Busse (pole vault: 3.62m, 3rd) and Paul Goins (60 hurdles: 8.27, 3rd). Sophomore Gage Ernsberger (high jump: 1.94m, 2nd) and freshman Zamen Siyoum (60 hurdles: 8.23, 2nd) tied their PRs.
Up next, the Boilermakers make the short trip to Chicago for the Wisconsin Midwest Invitational next weekend on Saturday, January 15, at the Track & Field Center at Gately Park. Field events are set for 12:45-5:30 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT and running events will be contested from 3:25-6:30 p.m. ET / 2:25-5:30 p.m. CT, with the final schedule to be set prior to the meet.
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.