JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The postseason continues as the Purdue track & field team travels to the 2023 NCAA East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Florida, from May 24-27.
The Boilermakers will be represented by 18 competitors in 11 events, eight individual and three relays, at North Florida's Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Six women's events and five men's events for Purdue earned a spot at the regional meet for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The men compete on Wednesday, May 24, and Friday, May 26, and the women compete on Thursday, May 25, and Saturday, May 27. On Wednesday, Purdue's week begins with the hammer throw at 10:30 a.m. ET and the 200-meter first round is at 8:45 p.m. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., followed by the 4x100 relay at 5 p.m., the triple jump at 6 p.m. and the 200m quarterfinal at 7:50 p.m. Saturday's action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the high jump at 2:30 p.m. and the 4x100 relay at 5 p.m. The triple jump is at 6 p.m., the 400m quarterfinal is at 6:50 p.m. and the meet concludes with the 4x400 relay at 8:45 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results, and watch all of the action live on ESPN+ (Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday), with live streams beginning at 6 p.m. on the first two days and 5 p.m. on the second two. Additional East Prelims information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available at UNFOspreys.com and at NCAA.com. Updates from Jacksonville, including schedule adjustments should weather have an impact, can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Direct links to follow along also are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Purdue's individual qualifiers are fifth-years Justin Becker (200m) and Johnny Vanos (hammer throw), junior Cierra Williams (400m), sophomores Praise Aniamaka (triple jump) and Rieko Wilford (triple jump) and freshmen Seth Allen (discus), Bryanna Craig (high jump) and Connor Czajkowski (200m). As a team, the Boilermakers will be represented by the women's 4x100 and 4x400 relays and the men's 4x100 relay.
The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in every event from both the east and west will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
SETH ALLEN: DISCUS
Allen will make his NCAA debut in the discus on Friday at 1 p.m. He is seeded No. 46 thanks to a personal-record throw of 53.96 meters at the Big Ten Championships on May 14. A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen was less than one meter shy of breaking into the top-10 list in school history and a spot in the Big Ten final two weeks ago.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
Fresh off a Big Ten title in the triple jump, Aniamaka will compete in the triple jump on Friday at 6 p.m. as the No. 11 overall seed. He qualified thanks to a mark of 16.03m on May 14 to win his first Big Ten championship and third career medal, indoors or outdoors. The jump is No. 7 in school history as the Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, native qualified for his first NCAA meet.
JUSTIN BECKER: 200M, 4x100
A multiple-time All-American, Becker will race in his first career NCAA individual event, the 200m, after he earned a berth in a relay each of his first three outdoor seasons. The 200m first round is on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals is Friday at 7:50 p.m. Becker ran a collegiate-best 200m time of 20.62 in the Big Ten prelims on May 12, tied for No. 6 in Purdue history, and followed it up with a sixth-place finish in the final two days later. From Fort Wayne, Indiana, Becker is seeded No. 33 and also will run in the 4x100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
BRYANNA CRAIG: HIGH JUMP
Craig, who won Big Ten silver medals in the heptathlon outdoors and pentathlon indoors in her first season in 2023, qualified in the high jump. She'll make her NCAA debut on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. as the No. 46 seed. From Millville, New Jersey, Craig boasts a PR of 1.75m, which she achieved at the Drake Relays on April 26 as part of the heptathlon.
CONNOR CZAJKOWSKI: 200M, 4x100
At his first NCAA meet, Czajkowski will race in the 200m, with the first round on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals on Friday at 7:50 p.m. He qualified for his inaugural east prelims with a personal-best 21.20 in the 200m prelims at the Big Ten Championships on May 12. Czajkowski is the No. 47 seed. The West Lafayette, Indiana, native also runs in the 4x100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
JOHNNY VANOS: HAMMER THROW
After qualifying for his first career NCAA Championships indoors in the weight throw, Vanos will compete at his first outdoor NCAA meet in the hammer throw on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. He is the No. 14 seed thanks to a throw of 66.32m at the Bobcat Invite on April 1. That moved Vanos into the Purdue top-10 list in the event at No. 6. An All-America Second Team honoree indoors, Vanos hails from Forest, Ontario, Canada.
RIEKO WILFORD: TRIPLE JUMP
Wilford earned her second NCAA berth in the triple jump in as many years, as she will compete on Friday at 6 p.m. Her No. 11 seed comes courtesy of a jump of 12.90m, which she achieved twice in 2023. The first was on April 1 at the Bobcat Invite, which moved her up to fourth in school history. The best jump in the record books since 2014, the University Place, Washington, matched her mark one week later on April 15.
CIERRA WILLIAMS: 400M, 4x400
Williams is at her third NCAA prelims in three seasons and will race in the 400m for the second year in a row, with the first round on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. and the quarterfinal on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. Williams is the No. 18 seed after she moved up to No. 3 in school history with a time of 52.34 on May 13 at the Big Ten Championships. That's the fastest by a Boilermaker since 2018. From Indianapolis, Indiana, she was sixth in the event at the Big Ten meet. Williams also will run in the 4x400 on Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
MEN'S 4x100 RELAY
The men's 4x100 relay races on Friday at 5 p.m. With a Big Ten bronze-medal-winning time of 39.87, the Boilermakers are seeded No. 18 thanks to junior Jahn Riley, Becker, Czajkowski and freshman Eric Young II. Last year, the 4x100 relay, including Becker, was 21st at the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN'S 4x100 RELAY
The women's 4x100 relay runs on Saturday at 5 p.m. The squad is seeded No. 18 thanks to a time of 44.38 by seniors Kerris Roberts and Saran Kouyeth, junior Naomi Campbell and fifth-year Camille Christopher on April 1. At the Big Ten Championships, Purdue was fourth in 44.57 thanks to Kouyeth, junior K'Ja Talley, Campbell and Christopher. A year ago, the 4x100 relay of Kouyeth, Roberts, Campbell and Christopher advanced to the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN'S 4x400 RELAY
The weekend concludes with the women's 4x400 relay on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Purdue earned the No. 17 seed with a time of 3:33.41. Run by Talley, Kouyeth, Williams and freshman Jaylie Lohmeyer, it is the fifth-fastest time in school history and the fastest by a Boilermaker 4x400 relay since 2018. The squad then earned a bronze medal in the event at the Big Ten Championships. Last season, the Boilermakers were 17th at the NCAA Championships in the 4x400 thanks to a team that included Talley, Kouyeth and Williams.
NEXT UP: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is set for June 7-10 in Austin, Texas. Boilermakers who finish in the top 12 in their events this week will earn a spot at the national championship-event.
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 be represented by 18 competitors in 11 events, eight individual and three relays, at North Florida's Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Six women's events and five men's events for Purdue earned a spot at the regional meet for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The men compete on Wednesday, May 24, and Friday, May 26, and the women compete on Thursday, May 25, and Saturday, May 27. On Wednesday, Purdue's week begins with the hammer throw at 10:30 a.m. ET and the 200-meter first round is at 8:45 p.m. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., followed by the 4x100 relay at 5 p.m., the triple jump at 6 p.m. and the 200m quarterfinal at 7:50 p.m. Saturday's action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the high jump at 2:30 p.m. and the 4x100 relay at 5 p.m. The triple jump is at 6 p.m., the 400m quarterfinal is at 6:50 p.m. and the meet concludes with the 4x400 relay at 8:45 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results, and watch all of the action live on ESPN+ (Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday), with live streams beginning at 6 p.m. on the first two days and 5 p.m. on the second two. Additional East Prelims information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available at UNFOspreys.com and at NCAA.com. Updates from Jacksonville, including schedule adjustments should weather have an impact, can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Direct links to follow along also are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Purdue's individual qualifiers are fifth-years Justin Becker (200m) and Johnny Vanos (hammer throw), junior Cierra Williams (400m), sophomores Praise Aniamaka (triple jump) and Rieko Wilford (triple jump) and freshmen Seth Allen (discus), Bryanna Craig (high jump) and Connor Czajkowski (200m). As a team, the Boilermakers will be represented by the women's 4x100 and 4x400 relays and the men's 4x100 relay.
The NCAA East Prelims, along with the West Prelims, feature 48 qualifiers in each individual event and 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers in every event from both the east and west will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
The prep is done, we're ready!#BoilerUp 🚂 x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/blRK4Jnac0
— Purdue Track & Field / Cross Country (@PurdueTrackXC) May 23, 2023
SETH ALLEN: DISCUS
Allen will make his NCAA debut in the discus on Friday at 1 p.m. He is seeded No. 46 thanks to a personal-record throw of 53.96 meters at the Big Ten Championships on May 14. A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen was less than one meter shy of breaking into the top-10 list in school history and a spot in the Big Ten final two weeks ago.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
Fresh off a Big Ten title in the triple jump, Aniamaka will compete in the triple jump on Friday at 6 p.m. as the No. 11 overall seed. He qualified thanks to a mark of 16.03m on May 14 to win his first Big Ten championship and third career medal, indoors or outdoors. The jump is No. 7 in school history as the Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, native qualified for his first NCAA meet.
JUSTIN BECKER: 200M, 4x100
A multiple-time All-American, Becker will race in his first career NCAA individual event, the 200m, after he earned a berth in a relay each of his first three outdoor seasons. The 200m first round is on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals is Friday at 7:50 p.m. Becker ran a collegiate-best 200m time of 20.62 in the Big Ten prelims on May 12, tied for No. 6 in Purdue history, and followed it up with a sixth-place finish in the final two days later. From Fort Wayne, Indiana, Becker is seeded No. 33 and also will run in the 4x100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
BRYANNA CRAIG: HIGH JUMP
Craig, who won Big Ten silver medals in the heptathlon outdoors and pentathlon indoors in her first season in 2023, qualified in the high jump. She'll make her NCAA debut on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. as the No. 46 seed. From Millville, New Jersey, Craig boasts a PR of 1.75m, which she achieved at the Drake Relays on April 26 as part of the heptathlon.
CONNOR CZAJKOWSKI: 200M, 4x100
At his first NCAA meet, Czajkowski will race in the 200m, with the first round on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and the quarterfinals on Friday at 7:50 p.m. He qualified for his inaugural east prelims with a personal-best 21.20 in the 200m prelims at the Big Ten Championships on May 12. Czajkowski is the No. 47 seed. The West Lafayette, Indiana, native also runs in the 4x100 on Friday at 5 p.m.
JOHNNY VANOS: HAMMER THROW
After qualifying for his first career NCAA Championships indoors in the weight throw, Vanos will compete at his first outdoor NCAA meet in the hammer throw on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. He is the No. 14 seed thanks to a throw of 66.32m at the Bobcat Invite on April 1. That moved Vanos into the Purdue top-10 list in the event at No. 6. An All-America Second Team honoree indoors, Vanos hails from Forest, Ontario, Canada.
RIEKO WILFORD: TRIPLE JUMP
Wilford earned her second NCAA berth in the triple jump in as many years, as she will compete on Friday at 6 p.m. Her No. 11 seed comes courtesy of a jump of 12.90m, which she achieved twice in 2023. The first was on April 1 at the Bobcat Invite, which moved her up to fourth in school history. The best jump in the record books since 2014, the University Place, Washington, matched her mark one week later on April 15.
CIERRA WILLIAMS: 400M, 4x400
Williams is at her third NCAA prelims in three seasons and will race in the 400m for the second year in a row, with the first round on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. and the quarterfinal on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. Williams is the No. 18 seed after she moved up to No. 3 in school history with a time of 52.34 on May 13 at the Big Ten Championships. That's the fastest by a Boilermaker since 2018. From Indianapolis, Indiana, she was sixth in the event at the Big Ten meet. Williams also will run in the 4x400 on Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
MEN'S 4x100 RELAY
The men's 4x100 relay races on Friday at 5 p.m. With a Big Ten bronze-medal-winning time of 39.87, the Boilermakers are seeded No. 18 thanks to junior Jahn Riley, Becker, Czajkowski and freshman Eric Young II. Last year, the 4x100 relay, including Becker, was 21st at the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN'S 4x100 RELAY
The women's 4x100 relay runs on Saturday at 5 p.m. The squad is seeded No. 18 thanks to a time of 44.38 by seniors Kerris Roberts and Saran Kouyeth, junior Naomi Campbell and fifth-year Camille Christopher on April 1. At the Big Ten Championships, Purdue was fourth in 44.57 thanks to Kouyeth, junior K'Ja Talley, Campbell and Christopher. A year ago, the 4x100 relay of Kouyeth, Roberts, Campbell and Christopher advanced to the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN'S 4x400 RELAY
The weekend concludes with the women's 4x400 relay on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Purdue earned the No. 17 seed with a time of 3:33.41. Run by Talley, Kouyeth, Williams and freshman Jaylie Lohmeyer, it is the fifth-fastest time in school history and the fastest by a Boilermaker 4x400 relay since 2018. The squad then earned a bronze medal in the event at the Big Ten Championships. Last season, the Boilermakers were 17th at the NCAA Championships in the 4x400 thanks to a team that included Talley, Kouyeth and Williams.
NEXT UP: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is set for June 7-10 in Austin, Texas. Boilermakers who finish in the top 12 in their events this week will earn a spot at the national championship-event.
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.