GENEVA, Ohio – Junior Safin Wills won bronze in the long jump to highlight the opening day of the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships for the Purdue track & field team at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, on Friday.
Wills was one of three Boilermakers to notch top-six finishes, while another five qualified for Saturday's final in their events. Additionally, three top-10 marks in Purdue history were set to go along with seven personal-bests and three season-bests.
Along with Wills, fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein was fourth in the 3,000-meter and senior Jessica Bray was sixth in the pole vault to score points for Purdue on the first day of the two-day conference championship meet. Finals qualifiers were fifth-year senior Antonio Mitchell in the 60m and 200m, senior Camille Christopher and junior Kerris Roberts in the 200m and freshman Shianne Dacosta in the 400m.
Wills took third in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 7.53 meters. His medal-winning jump came on his sixth and final attempt, which moved him up from sixth place. Wills made the final thanks to a mark of 7.43 meters on his first attempt, which was sixth-best overall until his sixth and final jump propelled him up three spots to third.
Eckstein placed fourth in the 3,000m with a time of 8:02.73. The finish is his best at an indoor conference championship meet and his second-best at any Big Ten championship meet during his five-year cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field career.
In one of the first events of the day, Bray cleared 4.12 meters to finish sixth overall in the pole vault. She was one of nine competitors to clear 4.12m, but misses helped her earn the sixth-place finish.
At his first Big Ten Championships, Mitchell II punched his ticket to a pair of finals. First it was the 60m, where Mitchell II earned the ninth and final qualifying spot by 0.02 seconds thanks to a prelim time of 6.77. That tied his Purdue-best time in the event, which is No. 10 in school history. Three hours later, Mitchell II qualified for the 200m final in 21.02. The third-fastest prelim time is No. 6 in the Boilermaker record books as he entered the top-10 in the event.
Roberts and Christopher will race in the 200m final, as the duo ran the sixth- and eighth-best prelim time. Roberts was sixth in a season-best 23.95, while Christopher was eighth in 24.05.
Dacosta was the first Boilermaker to make a final on Friday, as she advanced in the 400m and also moved up in the Purdue record book. Her time of 53.87 is No. 6 all-time, an improvement from her previous spot at No. 9 (54.78).
Along with Dacosta and Mitchell II's times in the 400m and 200m that are No. 6 in school history, junior Justin Becker added his own top-10 time in the 200m. He finished in 21.25 to enter the record book at No. 10. Becker was ninth in the prelims, just 0.01 seconds shy of a top-eight finish and a spot in tomorrow's final.
Junior Emma Tate began the day on the track in the unseeded 3,000m. She was first in her section with a time of 9:40.14, which was 18th overall after the evening seeded race.
Ten personal-best marks were registered on Friday, as Becker, Dacosta, Mitchell II and Wills were joined by senior Amir Harris in the 400m (47.54) and 200m (21.51), junior Saran Kouyeth in the 200m (24.33), sophomores Naomi Campbell in the 200m (24.74) and Cierra Williams in the 400m (54.88) and freshman Owen Schafer in the 400m (48.96).
Additionally, Becker (6.82, 60m), senior Isaiah Martin (13.36m, heptathlon shot put) and junior Jayla Ellis (8.66, 60m hurdles) notched season-best marks.
The meet concludes on Saturday. Both the heptathlon and field events begin at 11 a.m., while Purdue's opening running event is at 1:40 p.m. The 2022 championships conclude with the final event at 4:35 p.m.
Fans can follow along with live results at DeltaTiming.com, and the meet will be streamed live on B1G+ (Field | Track), with a subscription is required. Additional championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at BigTen.org/ITFChamps. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 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.
Wills was one of three Boilermakers to notch top-six finishes, while another five qualified for Saturday's final in their events. Additionally, three top-10 marks in Purdue history were set to go along with seven personal-bests and three season-bests.
Along with Wills, fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein was fourth in the 3,000-meter and senior Jessica Bray was sixth in the pole vault to score points for Purdue on the first day of the two-day conference championship meet. Finals qualifiers were fifth-year senior Antonio Mitchell in the 60m and 200m, senior Camille Christopher and junior Kerris Roberts in the 200m and freshman Shianne Dacosta in the 400m.
Wills took third in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 7.53 meters. His medal-winning jump came on his sixth and final attempt, which moved him up from sixth place. Wills made the final thanks to a mark of 7.43 meters on his first attempt, which was sixth-best overall until his sixth and final jump propelled him up three spots to third.
Eckstein placed fourth in the 3,000m with a time of 8:02.73. The finish is his best at an indoor conference championship meet and his second-best at any Big Ten championship meet during his five-year cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field career.
In one of the first events of the day, Bray cleared 4.12 meters to finish sixth overall in the pole vault. She was one of nine competitors to clear 4.12m, but misses helped her earn the sixth-place finish.
At his first Big Ten Championships, Mitchell II punched his ticket to a pair of finals. First it was the 60m, where Mitchell II earned the ninth and final qualifying spot by 0.02 seconds thanks to a prelim time of 6.77. That tied his Purdue-best time in the event, which is No. 10 in school history. Three hours later, Mitchell II qualified for the 200m final in 21.02. The third-fastest prelim time is No. 6 in the Boilermaker record books as he entered the top-10 in the event.
Roberts and Christopher will race in the 200m final, as the duo ran the sixth- and eighth-best prelim time. Roberts was sixth in a season-best 23.95, while Christopher was eighth in 24.05.
Dacosta was the first Boilermaker to make a final on Friday, as she advanced in the 400m and also moved up in the Purdue record book. Her time of 53.87 is No. 6 all-time, an improvement from her previous spot at No. 9 (54.78).
Along with Dacosta and Mitchell II's times in the 400m and 200m that are No. 6 in school history, junior Justin Becker added his own top-10 time in the 200m. He finished in 21.25 to enter the record book at No. 10. Becker was ninth in the prelims, just 0.01 seconds shy of a top-eight finish and a spot in tomorrow's final.
Junior Emma Tate began the day on the track in the unseeded 3,000m. She was first in her section with a time of 9:40.14, which was 18th overall after the evening seeded race.
Ten personal-best marks were registered on Friday, as Becker, Dacosta, Mitchell II and Wills were joined by senior Amir Harris in the 400m (47.54) and 200m (21.51), junior Saran Kouyeth in the 200m (24.33), sophomores Naomi Campbell in the 200m (24.74) and Cierra Williams in the 400m (54.88) and freshman Owen Schafer in the 400m (48.96).
Additionally, Becker (6.82, 60m), senior Isaiah Martin (13.36m, heptathlon shot put) and junior Jayla Ellis (8.66, 60m hurdles) notched season-best marks.
The meet concludes on Saturday. Both the heptathlon and field events begin at 11 a.m., while Purdue's opening running event is at 1:40 p.m. The 2022 championships conclude with the final event at 4:35 p.m.
Fans can follow along with live results at DeltaTiming.com, and the meet will be streamed live on B1G+ (Field | Track), with a subscription is required. Additional championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at BigTen.org/ITFChamps. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 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.