CORAL GABLES, Fla. – On the second day of the outdoor season, the Purdue track & field team posted seven top-10 marks in program history and won six events at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida on Saturday.
In total at the two-day meet in South Florida, the Boilermakers tallied seven wins, 11 second-place finishes and four third-place showings. Seven personal-best marks were set along with the seven top-10 marks in the Purdue record books.
The season-opening meet, hosted by Miami (Florida) at Cobb Stadium, concluded a week-long spring break training trip for the Boilermakers in Miami.
Five of Purdue's seven top-10 marks came with a win or a runner-up finish. Senior Kelly Cook Jr. and sophomore Saran Kouyeth earned victories as they put their names in the record books, while sophomores Kerris Roberts and Safin Wills and freshman Rieko Wilford finished in second place in their events with the top-10 marks.
Kouyeth and Roberts were first and second in the 100-meter dash with the fifth- and 10th-fastest times in team history, respectively. In her first collegiate 100m race, Kouyeth won in 11.46, which is No. 5 in the Purdue record book and the fastest time by a Boilermaker since 2018. Roberts was right behind Kouyeth in second, has her time of 11.65 is tied for No. 10.
Cook Jr., in his inaugural outdoor meet as a Boilermaker, recorded the fifth-best hammer throw mark in school history to win the event. A throw of 66.08 meters is the first top-10 mark since 2015. Junior Johnny Vanos was second with a personal-best 58.93m.
A pair of top-10 triple jump marks were achieved on Saturday, both by first-year Boilermakers. Wilford had the fifth-best jump all-time, with a 12.79m, as she finished second. Wills also was second thanks to a jump of 15.84m that is No. 7 in the record books.
Senior Antonio Mitchell II, also making his outdoor debut at Purdue, ran the fifth-fastest 100m time in team history, as his 10.26 was fourth overall. Sophomore Amaya King added her own top-10 mark in the shot put. On her fourth attempt, a mark of 15.00m is No. 7 all-time and earned her fourth place in the event.
The Boilermakers picked up both victories in the 400m hurdles courtesy of a pair of sophomores. Jabari Bryant used a personal-best time of 52.08 to win the men's event and Annamaria Leszczynska was victorious in the women's race in 1:00.64.
In the final individual event of the day, Roberts added a win in the 200m. Her wind-aided time of 23.46 led the way as four of the top six finishers represented the old gold and black.
In the relay events, the men's 4x100 won with a time of 39.88. The women's 4x100 (44.84 and 4x400 (3:40.64) both earned runner-up finishes.
Junior Justin Becker and sophomore Naomi Campbell each had a pair of personal-best times. Becker's day was highlighted by a 20.92 in the 200m to finish second, and he also was sixth in the 100m in 10.44. Campbell was fifth in the 100m (11.90) and sixth in the 200m (24.25).
Senior Amir Harris was second in the 400m, with a Purdue-best time of 47.51. Junior Isaiah Martin was third in the 110m hurdles in 14.48, just 0.01 shy of his PR. Additionally, sophomore Deborah Obadofin was fourth in the triple jump with a personal-best jump of 12.24m.
Also on Saturday, former Boilermaker Devynne Charlton won a silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Charlton's time of 7.81 seconds, which she set in both the semifinal and final, is a Bahamian record. She is the first Boilermaker woman to win a medal at a global track & field championship.
A two-time school record-holder, in the 100m hurdles (12.70) and 100m (11.22), Charlton earned nine All-America honors as a Boilermaker from 2014-18. She was the NCAA runner-up in the 100m hurdles in 2018 and in the 60m hurdles in 2017. Charlton won 11 Big Ten championships and was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year three times. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Charlton was sixth in the 100m hurdles.
On Friday to open the outdoor season, sophomore My'Khiyah Williams won the high jump to lead the way as the Boilermakers added three second-place finishes and three third-place showings in Florida and also at the one-day Blizzard Buster in Oxford, Ohio.
Purdue's distance runners return to action next weekend, when the Boilermakers travel to the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina. The three-day meet hosted by North Carolina State is set for March 24-26.
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.
In total at the two-day meet in South Florida, the Boilermakers tallied seven wins, 11 second-place finishes and four third-place showings. Seven personal-best marks were set along with the seven top-10 marks in the Purdue record books.
The season-opening meet, hosted by Miami (Florida) at Cobb Stadium, concluded a week-long spring break training trip for the Boilermakers in Miami.
Five of Purdue's seven top-10 marks came with a win or a runner-up finish. Senior Kelly Cook Jr. and sophomore Saran Kouyeth earned victories as they put their names in the record books, while sophomores Kerris Roberts and Safin Wills and freshman Rieko Wilford finished in second place in their events with the top-10 marks.
Kouyeth and Roberts were first and second in the 100-meter dash with the fifth- and 10th-fastest times in team history, respectively. In her first collegiate 100m race, Kouyeth won in 11.46, which is No. 5 in the Purdue record book and the fastest time by a Boilermaker since 2018. Roberts was right behind Kouyeth in second, has her time of 11.65 is tied for No. 10.
Cook Jr., in his inaugural outdoor meet as a Boilermaker, recorded the fifth-best hammer throw mark in school history to win the event. A throw of 66.08 meters is the first top-10 mark since 2015. Junior Johnny Vanos was second with a personal-best 58.93m.
A pair of top-10 triple jump marks were achieved on Saturday, both by first-year Boilermakers. Wilford had the fifth-best jump all-time, with a 12.79m, as she finished second. Wills also was second thanks to a jump of 15.84m that is No. 7 in the record books.
Senior Antonio Mitchell II, also making his outdoor debut at Purdue, ran the fifth-fastest 100m time in team history, as his 10.26 was fourth overall. Sophomore Amaya King added her own top-10 mark in the shot put. On her fourth attempt, a mark of 15.00m is No. 7 all-time and earned her fourth place in the event.
The Boilermakers picked up both victories in the 400m hurdles courtesy of a pair of sophomores. Jabari Bryant used a personal-best time of 52.08 to win the men's event and Annamaria Leszczynska was victorious in the women's race in 1:00.64.
In the final individual event of the day, Roberts added a win in the 200m. Her wind-aided time of 23.46 led the way as four of the top six finishers represented the old gold and black.
In the relay events, the men's 4x100 won with a time of 39.88. The women's 4x100 (44.84 and 4x400 (3:40.64) both earned runner-up finishes.
Junior Justin Becker and sophomore Naomi Campbell each had a pair of personal-best times. Becker's day was highlighted by a 20.92 in the 200m to finish second, and he also was sixth in the 100m in 10.44. Campbell was fifth in the 100m (11.90) and sixth in the 200m (24.25).
Senior Amir Harris was second in the 400m, with a Purdue-best time of 47.51. Junior Isaiah Martin was third in the 110m hurdles in 14.48, just 0.01 shy of his PR. Additionally, sophomore Deborah Obadofin was fourth in the triple jump with a personal-best jump of 12.24m.
Also on Saturday, former Boilermaker Devynne Charlton won a silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Charlton's time of 7.81 seconds, which she set in both the semifinal and final, is a Bahamian record. She is the first Boilermaker woman to win a medal at a global track & field championship.
A two-time school record-holder, in the 100m hurdles (12.70) and 100m (11.22), Charlton earned nine All-America honors as a Boilermaker from 2014-18. She was the NCAA runner-up in the 100m hurdles in 2018 and in the 60m hurdles in 2017. Charlton won 11 Big Ten championships and was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year three times. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Charlton was sixth in the 100m hurdles.
What a race by Devynne Charleton!! 🇧🇸
— Purdue Track & Field / Cross Country (@PurdueTrackXC) March 19, 2022
At the World Indoor Championships, @DevynneCharlton wins silver 🥈 in the 60m hurdles with a Bahamian-record time of 7.81! ⚡️#BoilerUp 🚂 pic.twitter.com/X54sOQX483
On Friday to open the outdoor season, sophomore My'Khiyah Williams won the high jump to lead the way as the Boilermakers added three second-place finishes and three third-place showings in Florida and also at the one-day Blizzard Buster in Oxford, Ohio.
Purdue's distance runners return to action next weekend, when the Boilermakers travel to the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina. The three-day meet hosted by North Carolina State is set for March 24-26.
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.