BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Purdue track & field team qualified four events to the NCAA Championships on the final day of the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Bloomington, Indiana, on Saturday.
The Boilermakers will have nine entries at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11. Today's four women's entries will be joined by five men's events that advanced. Qualifiers from this weekend's meet at Indiana's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex were among the top 12 finishers in their events.
On Saturday, sophomores Kaia Harris and K'Ja Talley earned NCAA berths in the discus and 400 meter hurdles, respectively, and they were joined by the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Also going to Oregon's Hayward Field to represent the Old Gold and Black are sophomore Safin Wills in the triple jump and long jump, senior Kelly Cook Jr. in the hammer throw, junior Isaiah Martin in the decathlon and the men's 4x100 relay.
Harris began the day with the discus, where she finished fifth overall with a throw of 54.27 meters. The throw came on her third and final attempt to secure the top-five finish, though her second throw of 53.82m also would have earned her a top-12 finish and a trip to her first national championship.
The opening event on the track was the 4x100 relay, where Purdue finished 11th overall in 44.20. The fifth-fastest time in school history and fastest since 2018 sent sophomores Saran Kouyeth, Kerris Roberts and Naomi Campbell and junior Camille Christopher to Eugene. However, as the Boilermakers finished fourth in heat two, they had to wait until the third heat finished to learn they earned the NCAA berth with the second-to-last non-automatic-qualifying time. The team was the No. 14 seed coming into the meet.
Talley qualified in the 400m hurdles with a time of 57.44 to place eighth overall. As she automatically qualified with the second-fastest time in the opening heat, Talley posted the second-fastest time in her career and the third time she ran faster than 58.00. She will be the first Purdue woman to run in an individual event at the NCAA Championships since 2018.
The day, and the four-day meet, concluded with Purdue's fourth NCAA qualifier thanks to the 4x400 relay. Talley, Kouyeth, sophomore Cierra Williams and freshman Shianne Dacosta finished 10th overall in 3:35.27. With the help of a strong third and fourth legs, the Boilermakers were third in the second heat to secure the automatic qualifier. It was the team's second-fastest time in the event this season.
Christopher also ran in the 200m and was 20th in 23.37. The time was the third-fastest wind-legal mark in her career.
Freshman Rieko Wilford made her NCAA prelim debut in the triple jump. She had a mark of 11.88m on her second attempt to finish 46th.
The 15 Boilermakers in nine events will travel to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with competition set for June 8-11.
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 Boilermakers will have nine entries at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11. Today's four women's entries will be joined by five men's events that advanced. Qualifiers from this weekend's meet at Indiana's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex were among the top 12 finishers in their events.
On Saturday, sophomores Kaia Harris and K'Ja Talley earned NCAA berths in the discus and 400 meter hurdles, respectively, and they were joined by the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Also going to Oregon's Hayward Field to represent the Old Gold and Black are sophomore Safin Wills in the triple jump and long jump, senior Kelly Cook Jr. in the hammer throw, junior Isaiah Martin in the decathlon and the men's 4x100 relay.
Harris began the day with the discus, where she finished fifth overall with a throw of 54.27 meters. The throw came on her third and final attempt to secure the top-five finish, though her second throw of 53.82m also would have earned her a top-12 finish and a trip to her first national championship.
The opening event on the track was the 4x100 relay, where Purdue finished 11th overall in 44.20. The fifth-fastest time in school history and fastest since 2018 sent sophomores Saran Kouyeth, Kerris Roberts and Naomi Campbell and junior Camille Christopher to Eugene. However, as the Boilermakers finished fourth in heat two, they had to wait until the third heat finished to learn they earned the NCAA berth with the second-to-last non-automatic-qualifying time. The team was the No. 14 seed coming into the meet.
Talley qualified in the 400m hurdles with a time of 57.44 to place eighth overall. As she automatically qualified with the second-fastest time in the opening heat, Talley posted the second-fastest time in her career and the third time she ran faster than 58.00. She will be the first Purdue woman to run in an individual event at the NCAA Championships since 2018.
The day, and the four-day meet, concluded with Purdue's fourth NCAA qualifier thanks to the 4x400 relay. Talley, Kouyeth, sophomore Cierra Williams and freshman Shianne Dacosta finished 10th overall in 3:35.27. With the help of a strong third and fourth legs, the Boilermakers were third in the second heat to secure the automatic qualifier. It was the team's second-fastest time in the event this season.
Christopher also ran in the 200m and was 20th in 23.37. The time was the third-fastest wind-legal mark in her career.
Freshman Rieko Wilford made her NCAA prelim debut in the triple jump. She had a mark of 11.88m on her second attempt to finish 46th.
The 15 Boilermakers in nine events will travel to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with competition set for June 8-11.
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.