COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Purdue track & field team collected a pair of victories and earned two top-10 marks in program history on the opening day of the Texas A&M Team Invitational in College Station, Texas, on Friday.
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. The two-day meet concludes on Saturday.
Wills won the long jump with a wind-aided jump of 7.83 meters. That came on his sixth and final attempt, and, with a 4.0 meters-per-second wind, is legal for qualification to NCAA Regionals. Wills' fourth jump of 7.65m moved him up into first place to secure the victory, and that mark also registered his name in the school record books. With a legal wind of 2.0 mps, Wills' 7.65m ranks No. 5 in Purdue history.
Harris picked up her first outdoor win of the season in the discus. Her season-best throw of 51.07m ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten this season. The winning throw came on Harris' fifth attempt, as she was just one of two throwers to earn a mark of 47.00m or better on the day.
In the 200m, Roberts was fourth overall in 23.70, which moved her into the program record books in the event. The personal-best time is eighth-fastest in Purdue history. Just ahead of Roberts in the competition on Friday night was junior Camille Christopher, who finished third overall in 23.67.
After five events in the decathlon, junior Isaiah Martin is in third place with 3,903 points and just 141 points behind the leader. Martin was first in the high jump with a season-best 1.96m and first in the 400m in 50.51 seconds. He added a wind-aided PR of 10.96w in the 100m to finish fourth, and he was second in the long jump with a 7.38m-w, his second-best mark in all wind conditions.
Along with Wills in the long jump, sophomore LJ Hill was third with a jump of 7.41m-w. That's an outdoor PR in all wind conditions for Hill.
In the pole vault, junior Jessica Bray tied for third. She cleared 3.86m, tied for second-best among all competitors, but took third place on misses.
Several Boilermakers earned personal-record or season-best marks on Friday. PRs were notched by junior Johnny Vanos (52.52m in the discus), sophomores Deborah Obadofin (5.60m in the long jump) and Cierra Williams (24.46 in the 200m, a wind-legal PR) and freshman Ezra Lewellen (22.05 in the 200m). Senior Kelly Cook Jr. notched a season-best discus mark of 51.97m.
The Texas A&M Team Invitational concludes on Saturday, April 9. The decathlon begins the day, at 11:15 a.m. ET, with field events set to start at 4 p.m. ET and running events at 7:30 p.m. ET. The meet concludes at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers also will be represented at the Illini Classic in Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday. Field events begin at 11 a.m. ET and the first running event is at 2 p.m. ET. The meet at Demirjian Park concludes at approximately 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can follow along from Texas A&M with live results and the meet schedule, while ESPN+ will have a live stream beginning 7:30 p.m. ET. From Illinois, fans can track live results, follow the meet schedule and watch the live stream. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including 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.
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. The two-day meet concludes on Saturday.
Wills won the long jump with a wind-aided jump of 7.83 meters. That came on his sixth and final attempt, and, with a 4.0 meters-per-second wind, is legal for qualification to NCAA Regionals. Wills' fourth jump of 7.65m moved him up into first place to secure the victory, and that mark also registered his name in the school record books. With a legal wind of 2.0 mps, Wills' 7.65m ranks No. 5 in Purdue history.
Harris picked up her first outdoor win of the season in the discus. Her season-best throw of 51.07m ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten this season. The winning throw came on Harris' fifth attempt, as she was just one of two throwers to earn a mark of 47.00m or better on the day.
In the 200m, Roberts was fourth overall in 23.70, which moved her into the program record books in the event. The personal-best time is eighth-fastest in Purdue history. Just ahead of Roberts in the competition on Friday night was junior Camille Christopher, who finished third overall in 23.67.
After five events in the decathlon, junior Isaiah Martin is in third place with 3,903 points and just 141 points behind the leader. Martin was first in the high jump with a season-best 1.96m and first in the 400m in 50.51 seconds. He added a wind-aided PR of 10.96w in the 100m to finish fourth, and he was second in the long jump with a 7.38m-w, his second-best mark in all wind conditions.
Along with Wills in the long jump, sophomore LJ Hill was third with a jump of 7.41m-w. That's an outdoor PR in all wind conditions for Hill.
In the pole vault, junior Jessica Bray tied for third. She cleared 3.86m, tied for second-best among all competitors, but took third place on misses.
Several Boilermakers earned personal-record or season-best marks on Friday. PRs were notched by junior Johnny Vanos (52.52m in the discus), sophomores Deborah Obadofin (5.60m in the long jump) and Cierra Williams (24.46 in the 200m, a wind-legal PR) and freshman Ezra Lewellen (22.05 in the 200m). Senior Kelly Cook Jr. notched a season-best discus mark of 51.97m.
The Texas A&M Team Invitational concludes on Saturday, April 9. The decathlon begins the day, at 11:15 a.m. ET, with field events set to start at 4 p.m. ET and running events at 7:30 p.m. ET. The meet concludes at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers also will be represented at the Illini Classic in Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday. Field events begin at 11 a.m. ET and the first running event is at 2 p.m. ET. The meet at Demirjian Park concludes at approximately 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can follow along from Texas A&M with live results and the meet schedule, while ESPN+ will have a live stream beginning 7:30 p.m. ET. From Illinois, fans can track live results, follow the meet schedule and watch the live stream. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including 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.