BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was another strong day for the Purdue track & field team on the final day of the Indiana Invitational with six top-10 marks in program history and four victories on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana.
On a hot, sun-soaked day, the four Boilermaker victories all came with top-10 marks, courtesy of senior Antonio Mitchell II in the 100 meters, sophomore Cierra Williams in the 400m, the women's 4x400 relay and sophomore Safin Wills in the triple jump. Sophomores Kaia Harris and Deborah Obadofin and freshman Shianne Dacosta also had record-book performances at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
In total at the two-day meet at IU, 10 top-10 marks in program history were achieved, Purdue won six events and 25 personal-best marks were set. This weekend's performances come in the penultimate outdoor meet of the regular season, with the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships three weeks away.
Wills led a one-two finish for the Boilermakers in the triple jump on Saturday. He registered the winning jump on his second attempt, with a season-best of 15.87 meters, but bested it on his fifth and final jump with a mark of 16.20m. The jump is fifth-best in school history, No. 3 in the NCAA East Region and tops in the Big Ten. Wills is the only jumper in the conference to surpass 15.85m, which he did twice today. In second was sophomore Lloyd Hill Jr., who jumped a personal-best 15.64m on his second attempt.
In the 100m, Mitchell II ran the top time in the prelims, with a 10.24. An improvement on his season-best time by 0.02 seconds, the mark is No. 5 in school history and third-fastest in the Big Ten. An hour later in the final, Mitchell II won with a time of 10.37.
The Boilermakers earned two top-10 times in the 400m. Williams won with a personal-best of 53.17. That moved her up five spots to No. 5 in school history, and it also is the No. 6-fastest time in the conference in 2022. Dacosta made her collegiate outdoor 400m debut and wasted no time posting a top-10 time. She was third overall in 53.60, which is No. 9 in both program history and in the Big Ten.
The final event on the track was the 4x400 relay, where the Purdue women won with the eighth-fastest time in the Boilermaker record books. Sophomore K'Ja Talley, Williams, sophomore Saran Kouyeth and Dacosta finished in 3:34.31, tied for the eighth-fastest in school history and No. 2 in the Big Ten.
Under the lights to conclude the meet, Harris used her first throw in the discus to improve her place at No. 2 in program history. Her throw of 56.53m earned her a second-place finish, and she was the only competitor to throw more than 56.00m on four attempts.
Obadofin debuted her name in the school record book in the triple jump. On her third attempt, she jumped 12.57m to enter the rankings at No. 9. It also is tied for No. 7 in the Big Ten this year.
The men's 4x400 relay posted a second-place finish, courtesy of a season-best time of 3:09.37 that is fourth in the conference. Junior Camille Christopher was third in the 100m final, in 11.67, and Talley also placed third in the 100m hurdle final. Her final time of 13.68 came after a season-best 13.67 in the prelim, which is fourth-fastest in the Big Ten.
Additional personal-best marks were achieved by Hill (7.37m, long jump), junior Ife Oketona (7.22m, long jump), sophomores Gage Ernsberger (6.92m, long jump) and Emily Kim (5.48m, long jump) and freshmen Grant Gogel (4.82m, pole vault), Paul Goins (14.80, 110m hurdles), Chris Huisman (15.46m, shot put), Joseph Romanyk (1:54.88, 800m), Zamen Siyoum (14.48, 110m hurdles) and Rieko Wilford (5.43m, long jump)
Ernsberger (2.03m, high jump), senior Kelly Cook Jr. (52.41m, discus), senior Tessa Sheets (3.72m, pole vault) and junior Isaiah Martin (12.56m, shot put) all had season-bests.
On Friday, three top-10 times were set, but junior Tyler Bowling and junior Bailey McIntire in the 5,000m and sophomore Jabari Bryant moved up in the 400m hurdles. Wins were earned by fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein and Christopher in the 5,000m and 200m, respectively.
The regular season concludes next weekend at the Drake Relays, as the Boilermakers return to Des Moines, Iowa, from April 28-30. The meet features some of the top teams in the country and comes two weeks before the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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.
On a hot, sun-soaked day, the four Boilermaker victories all came with top-10 marks, courtesy of senior Antonio Mitchell II in the 100 meters, sophomore Cierra Williams in the 400m, the women's 4x400 relay and sophomore Safin Wills in the triple jump. Sophomores Kaia Harris and Deborah Obadofin and freshman Shianne Dacosta also had record-book performances at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
In total at the two-day meet at IU, 10 top-10 marks in program history were achieved, Purdue won six events and 25 personal-best marks were set. This weekend's performances come in the penultimate outdoor meet of the regular season, with the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships three weeks away.
Wills led a one-two finish for the Boilermakers in the triple jump on Saturday. He registered the winning jump on his second attempt, with a season-best of 15.87 meters, but bested it on his fifth and final jump with a mark of 16.20m. The jump is fifth-best in school history, No. 3 in the NCAA East Region and tops in the Big Ten. Wills is the only jumper in the conference to surpass 15.85m, which he did twice today. In second was sophomore Lloyd Hill Jr., who jumped a personal-best 15.64m on his second attempt.
In the 100m, Mitchell II ran the top time in the prelims, with a 10.24. An improvement on his season-best time by 0.02 seconds, the mark is No. 5 in school history and third-fastest in the Big Ten. An hour later in the final, Mitchell II won with a time of 10.37.
The Boilermakers earned two top-10 times in the 400m. Williams won with a personal-best of 53.17. That moved her up five spots to No. 5 in school history, and it also is the No. 6-fastest time in the conference in 2022. Dacosta made her collegiate outdoor 400m debut and wasted no time posting a top-10 time. She was third overall in 53.60, which is No. 9 in both program history and in the Big Ten.
The final event on the track was the 4x400 relay, where the Purdue women won with the eighth-fastest time in the Boilermaker record books. Sophomore K'Ja Talley, Williams, sophomore Saran Kouyeth and Dacosta finished in 3:34.31, tied for the eighth-fastest in school history and No. 2 in the Big Ten.
Under the lights to conclude the meet, Harris used her first throw in the discus to improve her place at No. 2 in program history. Her throw of 56.53m earned her a second-place finish, and she was the only competitor to throw more than 56.00m on four attempts.
Obadofin debuted her name in the school record book in the triple jump. On her third attempt, she jumped 12.57m to enter the rankings at No. 9. It also is tied for No. 7 in the Big Ten this year.
The men's 4x400 relay posted a second-place finish, courtesy of a season-best time of 3:09.37 that is fourth in the conference. Junior Camille Christopher was third in the 100m final, in 11.67, and Talley also placed third in the 100m hurdle final. Her final time of 13.68 came after a season-best 13.67 in the prelim, which is fourth-fastest in the Big Ten.
Additional personal-best marks were achieved by Hill (7.37m, long jump), junior Ife Oketona (7.22m, long jump), sophomores Gage Ernsberger (6.92m, long jump) and Emily Kim (5.48m, long jump) and freshmen Grant Gogel (4.82m, pole vault), Paul Goins (14.80, 110m hurdles), Chris Huisman (15.46m, shot put), Joseph Romanyk (1:54.88, 800m), Zamen Siyoum (14.48, 110m hurdles) and Rieko Wilford (5.43m, long jump)
Ernsberger (2.03m, high jump), senior Kelly Cook Jr. (52.41m, discus), senior Tessa Sheets (3.72m, pole vault) and junior Isaiah Martin (12.56m, shot put) all had season-bests.
On Friday, three top-10 times were set, but junior Tyler Bowling and junior Bailey McIntire in the 5,000m and sophomore Jabari Bryant moved up in the 400m hurdles. Wins were earned by fifth-year senior Curt Eckstein and Christopher in the 5,000m and 200m, respectively.
The regular season concludes next weekend at the Drake Relays, as the Boilermakers return to Des Moines, Iowa, from April 28-30. The meet features some of the top teams in the country and comes two weeks before the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
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.