COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Two top-10 marks in school history were set and the Purdue track & field team won six events at a pair of meets on Saturday, at the Texas A&M Team Invitational in College Station, Texas, and the Illini Classic in Champaign, Illinois.
The women's 4x100 relay and sophomore Amaya King in the shot put recorded top-10 marks, while junior Isaiah Martin in the decathlon, senior Kelly Cook Jr. in the hammer throw and senior Alexis Zatta in the high jump all earned victories at E.B. Cushing Stadium in Texas. Meanwhile at Demirjian Park in Illinois, the women's 4x400 relay, junior Ife Oketona in the long jump and freshman Ellie Tate in the 800m came home victorious. A total of 17 personal-best marks were set by the Boilermakers on Saturday, on the second day at A&M and the sole day of competition at UI.
In Texas, Martin got the day started with his first collegiate victory in the decathlon. He scored 7,538 points for the win, the sixth-best total in the NCAA this season. While he did not beat his school-record mark of 7,708 points, he eclipsed the 7,500-point total for the fourth time in his career and continues to be one of just two athletes in team history to score more than 7,500 points in the decathlon.
Martin was in third place entering the day after five events on Friday, and he began the day with a personal-best 110-meter hurdle time of 14.44 to move into second place overall. Another PR of 41.71m in the discus, followed by a pole vault clearance of 4.30m, which was just 0.01m shy of his collegiate best, moved him into first place. Martin then won the javelin (58.89m) and was third in the 1,500m (4:54.04) to secure the win.
Purdue's next win came from Cook Jr. in the hammer throw with a meet-record mark. He started the competition with a throw of 64.79 on his first attempt, which set the meet record and would have been good enough for the win. However, he followed it up with a mark of 65.67m on his third attempt, which held as the winning throw. That mark is just shy of Cook Jr.'s season-best of 66.08m that is No. 5 in Purdue history.
Zatta also picked up the victory in the high jump, her first win of the 2022 calendar year. Zatta cleared 1.71m, a season-best mark that is tied for No. 7 in the Big Ten this season. She solidified the win on a jump-off on a windy Saturday evening in Texas.
The first event on the track was the 4x100 relay, and the Boilermakers quickly stamped a new time into the record books with a runner-up finish. Sophomores Saran Kouyeth, Kerris Roberts and Naomi Campbell and junior Camille Christopher finished in 44.51, No. 6 in school history. The second-fastest time in the Big Ten this season and 14th-fastest in the east region is the fastest by a Purdue relay squad since 2018.
Meanwhile, inside the track, King was improving her own spot in the record books in the shot put. She earned a mark of 15.17m to better her place at No. 7 on the all-time list. The throw came on her third attempt, right after a mark of 15.16m, and is 10th-best in the Big Ten this season.
Second-place finishes in Texas were notched by the men's 4x100 (39.98), Christopher in the 100m (11.43w) and sophomore LJ Hill in the triple jump (15.25m). Hill's mark, which is a PR and third in the Big Ten this season, earned him his best collegiate outdoor finish.
Sophomore Deborah Obadofin was third in the triple jump (12.24m) to tie her personal-best. Additionally, Campbell (11.72w, 10th 100m), sophomore Nikia Smith (13.69w, 4th 100m hurdles and 12.03w, 20th 100m) and freshman Tyneilus Morrow (10.66w, 11th 100m) all posted times that are PRs in all wind conditions.
At the Illini Classic in Champaign, Oketona picked up the first win. His long jump mark of 6.81m came on his first attempt, and he was the only competitor to jump more than 6.40m, which he did on all six attempts. Oketona's win was his first since 2019 and first outdoors as a collegian.
Tate won the 800m in 2:11.24 as sophomore Payne Turney (2:13.45) and freshman Emma Squires (2:14.54) helped Purdue secure a one-two-three finish.
The Boilermakers also won the women's 4x400 relay. Tate, Squires, Turney and sophomore Emma Tate finished in 4:07.05.
Senior Megan Slamkowski and freshmen Alex Frey and Caleb Williams each posted second-place finishes. Slamkowski's was in the women's 5,00m in 17:02.09, Frey's came in the men's 5,000m in 14:24.46 and Williams' was in the 3,000m steeplechase in 9:15.42. Freshmen Ikeava Bryant (12.77m shot put) and Morgan Murff (42.41m discus) both finished third with personal-bests.
Also in Illinois, freshmen Chris Huisman (15.05m, 8th shot put), Henry H.L. Lewis (11.13, 6th 100m and 22.24, 4th 200m), Kaylah Lumsden (12.56, 8th 100m), Joseph Romanyk (1:56.27, 9th 800m) and Owen Schafer (49.52, 8th 400m) all registered PRs.
On Friday in College Station, sophomore Safin Wills won the long jump with a top-10 jump, while sophomore Kerris Roberts entered the record books in the 200-meter and sophomore Kaia Harris won the discus. The Boilermakers totaled six top-three finishes and earned eight personal-best marks to open the weekend at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Up next, the Boilermakers make the short trip to Louisville, Kentucky, for the Louisville Invitational next weekend. The meet is set for April 15-16.
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 women's 4x100 relay and sophomore Amaya King in the shot put recorded top-10 marks, while junior Isaiah Martin in the decathlon, senior Kelly Cook Jr. in the hammer throw and senior Alexis Zatta in the high jump all earned victories at E.B. Cushing Stadium in Texas. Meanwhile at Demirjian Park in Illinois, the women's 4x400 relay, junior Ife Oketona in the long jump and freshman Ellie Tate in the 800m came home victorious. A total of 17 personal-best marks were set by the Boilermakers on Saturday, on the second day at A&M and the sole day of competition at UI.
In Texas, Martin got the day started with his first collegiate victory in the decathlon. He scored 7,538 points for the win, the sixth-best total in the NCAA this season. While he did not beat his school-record mark of 7,708 points, he eclipsed the 7,500-point total for the fourth time in his career and continues to be one of just two athletes in team history to score more than 7,500 points in the decathlon.
Martin was in third place entering the day after five events on Friday, and he began the day with a personal-best 110-meter hurdle time of 14.44 to move into second place overall. Another PR of 41.71m in the discus, followed by a pole vault clearance of 4.30m, which was just 0.01m shy of his collegiate best, moved him into first place. Martin then won the javelin (58.89m) and was third in the 1,500m (4:54.04) to secure the win.
Purdue's next win came from Cook Jr. in the hammer throw with a meet-record mark. He started the competition with a throw of 64.79 on his first attempt, which set the meet record and would have been good enough for the win. However, he followed it up with a mark of 65.67m on his third attempt, which held as the winning throw. That mark is just shy of Cook Jr.'s season-best of 66.08m that is No. 5 in Purdue history.
Zatta also picked up the victory in the high jump, her first win of the 2022 calendar year. Zatta cleared 1.71m, a season-best mark that is tied for No. 7 in the Big Ten this season. She solidified the win on a jump-off on a windy Saturday evening in Texas.
The first event on the track was the 4x100 relay, and the Boilermakers quickly stamped a new time into the record books with a runner-up finish. Sophomores Saran Kouyeth, Kerris Roberts and Naomi Campbell and junior Camille Christopher finished in 44.51, No. 6 in school history. The second-fastest time in the Big Ten this season and 14th-fastest in the east region is the fastest by a Purdue relay squad since 2018.
Meanwhile, inside the track, King was improving her own spot in the record books in the shot put. She earned a mark of 15.17m to better her place at No. 7 on the all-time list. The throw came on her third attempt, right after a mark of 15.16m, and is 10th-best in the Big Ten this season.
Second-place finishes in Texas were notched by the men's 4x100 (39.98), Christopher in the 100m (11.43w) and sophomore LJ Hill in the triple jump (15.25m). Hill's mark, which is a PR and third in the Big Ten this season, earned him his best collegiate outdoor finish.
Sophomore Deborah Obadofin was third in the triple jump (12.24m) to tie her personal-best. Additionally, Campbell (11.72w, 10th 100m), sophomore Nikia Smith (13.69w, 4th 100m hurdles and 12.03w, 20th 100m) and freshman Tyneilus Morrow (10.66w, 11th 100m) all posted times that are PRs in all wind conditions.
At the Illini Classic in Champaign, Oketona picked up the first win. His long jump mark of 6.81m came on his first attempt, and he was the only competitor to jump more than 6.40m, which he did on all six attempts. Oketona's win was his first since 2019 and first outdoors as a collegian.
Tate won the 800m in 2:11.24 as sophomore Payne Turney (2:13.45) and freshman Emma Squires (2:14.54) helped Purdue secure a one-two-three finish.
The Boilermakers also won the women's 4x400 relay. Tate, Squires, Turney and sophomore Emma Tate finished in 4:07.05.
Senior Megan Slamkowski and freshmen Alex Frey and Caleb Williams each posted second-place finishes. Slamkowski's was in the women's 5,00m in 17:02.09, Frey's came in the men's 5,000m in 14:24.46 and Williams' was in the 3,000m steeplechase in 9:15.42. Freshmen Ikeava Bryant (12.77m shot put) and Morgan Murff (42.41m discus) both finished third with personal-bests.
Also in Illinois, freshmen Chris Huisman (15.05m, 8th shot put), Henry H.L. Lewis (11.13, 6th 100m and 22.24, 4th 200m), Kaylah Lumsden (12.56, 8th 100m), Joseph Romanyk (1:56.27, 9th 800m) and Owen Schafer (49.52, 8th 400m) all registered PRs.
On Friday in College Station, sophomore Safin Wills won the long jump with a top-10 jump, while sophomore Kerris Roberts entered the record books in the 200-meter and sophomore Kaia Harris won the discus. The Boilermakers totaled six top-three finishes and earned eight personal-best marks to open the weekend at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Up next, the Boilermakers make the short trip to Louisville, Kentucky, for the Louisville Invitational next weekend. The meet is set for April 15-16.
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.