GENEVA, Ohio – The Purdue track & field team concluded the 2023 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships with a silver and bronze medal and eight top-eight podium finishes on Saturday at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Fifth-year Justin Becker won silver in the 200-meter, with the fourth-fastest time in program history, and sophomore Praise Aniamaka took bronze in the triple jump. Becker added a seventh-place finish in the 60m final as he was one of three Boilermakers to place in the top eight and earn team points in multiple events. Becker and sophomore Brett Otterbacher both had top-10 times in the Purdue record books to conclude the meet.
The Boilermakers won a total of five medals, three silver and two bronze, with 12 podium finishes at the two-day conference championships. Eleven top-10 marks in program history were achieved. On Friday, Purdue won three medals and had nine top-10 marks all-time.
With their silver-medal performances this weekend, Becker in the 200m, fifth-year Johnny Vanos in the weight throw and freshman Bryanna Craig in the pentathlon all were recognized on the All-Big Ten Second Team. Vanos and Craig are honored for the first time in their careers, while Becker's distinction is his first in an individual event.
Becker finished second overall in the 200m with a time of 20.83 after he entered the meet as the 10th overall seed. The 20.83 is No. 4 in the Purdue record books and comes after Becker ran yesterday's prelims in 20.97, which was No. 6 at the time. In two days, Becker passed six people on the top-10 list, including four who he has been teammates with during his Purdue career. The Big Ten medal is the third of Becker's career but the first in an individual event and the first indoors.
Aniamaka won the bronze medal in the triple jump for the second consecutive year thanks to a jump of 15.89 meters. The medal-clinching jump came on his third attempt, after marks of 15.47m and 15.81m on his opening two chances.
Sophomore Brett Otterbacher joined Becker with a top-10 time in school history on Saturday, in the 400m final in 46.94. As he finished fifth overall, Otterbacher moved up to No. 3 in the record books. Yesterday, his final-qualifying time of 47.15 ranked seventh-fastest all-time. Otterbacher's fifth-place finish earned him his first career spot on the podium and came after he was seeded No. 13 in the event coming into the meet.
Along with their individual success, Becker and Otterbacher helped Purdue place fifth in the 4x400 relay to conclude the day. The Boilermakers ran a season-best time of 3:09.70 to come in fifth overall and second in the second of three heats. The relay squad featured junior Jahn Riley, freshman Eric Young II, Becker and Otterbacher.
Ninety minutes before his silver-medal run, Becker was seventh in the 60m final. In a tightly-contest race, he finished in 6.74 as the second-eighth place finishers all crossed the finish line within 0.05 seconds of each other.
Freshman Kiefer Bell was seventh in the mile final in 4:15.87, as he came in less than three seconds behind the winner. The finish comes after Bell qualified with a time of 4:06.09 that ranked No. 5 in school history yesterday. Bell was seeded No. 13 in the event. He also was eighth in the distance medley relay on Friday, as Bell joined Becker, three times, and Otterbacher, twice, as Boilermakers to reach the podium multiple times this weekend.
Junior Cierra Williams got on the podium for the sixth time in her career, and the third time in an individual event, as she was seventh in the 400m final. Williams registered a time of 53.76 after a prelim time of 5.33 yesterday that is fifth in school history.
Senior Safin Wills joined Aniamaka on the triple jump podium to place eighth with a jump of 15.33m. It is Wills' fifth top-eight Big Ten finish in six events, indoors or outdoors, in his two-year Boilermaker career.
Also on Saturday, junior Logan Sandlin was ninth in the heptathlon with a personal-record score of 5,014 points. Just shy of a spot on Purdue's top-10 list, Sandlin notched PRs in five of the seven events, including two on Saturday. His runner-up pole vault clearance of 4.70m went along with a 60m hurdles time of 8.81 as collegiate-bests. This weekend's competition marked just the second heptathlon of Sandlin's collegiate career.
Juniors Alex Frey (8:09.15) and Payne Turney (9:42.13) and sophomore Emma Squires (9:46.24) all added personal-best times in the 3,000m on Saturday.
As a team, the Purdue men were eighth overall with 42 points and the women were 11th with 10 points. Wisconsin won the men's title, followed by Nebraska and Iowa, while Michigan edged out Ohio State and Iowa for the women's crown.
Up next, qualifying Boilermakers will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The NCAA field will be announced following all of the conference championship meets.
The outdoor track & field season begins one week later, on March 17.
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.
Fifth-year Justin Becker won silver in the 200-meter, with the fourth-fastest time in program history, and sophomore Praise Aniamaka took bronze in the triple jump. Becker added a seventh-place finish in the 60m final as he was one of three Boilermakers to place in the top eight and earn team points in multiple events. Becker and sophomore Brett Otterbacher both had top-10 times in the Purdue record books to conclude the meet.
The Boilermakers won a total of five medals, three silver and two bronze, with 12 podium finishes at the two-day conference championships. Eleven top-10 marks in program history were achieved. On Friday, Purdue won three medals and had nine top-10 marks all-time.
With their silver-medal performances this weekend, Becker in the 200m, fifth-year Johnny Vanos in the weight throw and freshman Bryanna Craig in the pentathlon all were recognized on the All-Big Ten Second Team. Vanos and Craig are honored for the first time in their careers, while Becker's distinction is his first in an individual event.
Becker finished second overall in the 200m with a time of 20.83 after he entered the meet as the 10th overall seed. The 20.83 is No. 4 in the Purdue record books and comes after Becker ran yesterday's prelims in 20.97, which was No. 6 at the time. In two days, Becker passed six people on the top-10 list, including four who he has been teammates with during his Purdue career. The Big Ten medal is the third of Becker's career but the first in an individual event and the first indoors.
Aniamaka won the bronze medal in the triple jump for the second consecutive year thanks to a jump of 15.89 meters. The medal-clinching jump came on his third attempt, after marks of 15.47m and 15.81m on his opening two chances.
Sophomore Brett Otterbacher joined Becker with a top-10 time in school history on Saturday, in the 400m final in 46.94. As he finished fifth overall, Otterbacher moved up to No. 3 in the record books. Yesterday, his final-qualifying time of 47.15 ranked seventh-fastest all-time. Otterbacher's fifth-place finish earned him his first career spot on the podium and came after he was seeded No. 13 in the event coming into the meet.
Along with their individual success, Becker and Otterbacher helped Purdue place fifth in the 4x400 relay to conclude the day. The Boilermakers ran a season-best time of 3:09.70 to come in fifth overall and second in the second of three heats. The relay squad featured junior Jahn Riley, freshman Eric Young II, Becker and Otterbacher.
Ninety minutes before his silver-medal run, Becker was seventh in the 60m final. In a tightly-contest race, he finished in 6.74 as the second-eighth place finishers all crossed the finish line within 0.05 seconds of each other.
Freshman Kiefer Bell was seventh in the mile final in 4:15.87, as he came in less than three seconds behind the winner. The finish comes after Bell qualified with a time of 4:06.09 that ranked No. 5 in school history yesterday. Bell was seeded No. 13 in the event. He also was eighth in the distance medley relay on Friday, as Bell joined Becker, three times, and Otterbacher, twice, as Boilermakers to reach the podium multiple times this weekend.
Junior Cierra Williams got on the podium for the sixth time in her career, and the third time in an individual event, as she was seventh in the 400m final. Williams registered a time of 53.76 after a prelim time of 5.33 yesterday that is fifth in school history.
Senior Safin Wills joined Aniamaka on the triple jump podium to place eighth with a jump of 15.33m. It is Wills' fifth top-eight Big Ten finish in six events, indoors or outdoors, in his two-year Boilermaker career.
Also on Saturday, junior Logan Sandlin was ninth in the heptathlon with a personal-record score of 5,014 points. Just shy of a spot on Purdue's top-10 list, Sandlin notched PRs in five of the seven events, including two on Saturday. His runner-up pole vault clearance of 4.70m went along with a 60m hurdles time of 8.81 as collegiate-bests. This weekend's competition marked just the second heptathlon of Sandlin's collegiate career.
Juniors Alex Frey (8:09.15) and Payne Turney (9:42.13) and sophomore Emma Squires (9:46.24) all added personal-best times in the 3,000m on Saturday.
As a team, the Purdue men were eighth overall with 42 points and the women were 11th with 10 points. Wisconsin won the men's title, followed by Nebraska and Iowa, while Michigan edged out Ohio State and Iowa for the women's crown.
Up next, qualifying Boilermakers will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The NCAA field will be announced following all of the conference championship meets.
The outdoor track & field season begins one week later, on March 17.
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.