GENEVA, Ohio – The 2024 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships is up next for the Purdue track & field team from February 23-24 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
The championships begin on Friday, February 23, with the first heptathlon event at 10:40 a.m. ET and the opening pentathlon event at 11:30 a.m. Purdue's first field and track events both are at 1 p.m., with the women's long jump and men's mile prelims. Friday concludes with the distance medley relay, which starts at 7:20 p.m. On Saturday, the heptathlon continues at 11 a.m., while the Boilermakers' opening field event is the women's triple jump at noon. Running events commence at 1:30 with the men's mile final. The championships will close with the 4x400 relay at 4:55 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results and watch all the action live on B1G+ (Friday Field | Friday Track | Saturday Field | Saturday Track), with a B1G+ subscription required. Championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at BigTen.org/ITFChamps. Additional updates from Geneva also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Forty-three Boilermakers will represent the Old Gold and Black and compete in 14 men's events and 11 women's events. The Spire Institute will serve as host of the championships for the fifth consecutive year and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.
Three Purdue medalists from a year ago will return to the Spire to defend their spot in the top three this weekend. Now-sophomore Bryanna Craig was the runner-up in the pentathlon in her freshman season in 2023 thanks to 4,046 points that is fourth-best in school history. Craig, who also took silver outdoors in the heptathlon, was one of three Boilermakers to finish second at last year's indoor championships. Now-senior LJ Hill and now-junior Praise Aniamaka each claimed bronze, in the long jump and triple jump, respectively. Aniamaka then went on to win the outdoor triple jump title. Four runners also are back at the Big Ten Indoor Championships after they won bronze outdoors in a relay event.
The always-competitive Big Ten Championships features some of the best teams in the country among the 13 women's programs and 11 men's squads in the conference. This week's USTFCCCA national rankings includes No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 22 Penn State and No. 23 Illinois in the men's top-25 and No. 17 Illinois and No. 23 Minnesota in the women's poll.
PURDUE'S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
The Purdue women won the Big Ten indoor team championship in 2001 and have placed second five times, most recently in 2018. The men have earned three runner-up finishes, in 1989, 2001 and 2008. The Boilermaker men have won 83 individual Big Ten titles indoors, while the women have claimed 49 individual crowns.
At the 2023 indoor championships, the Boilermaker men placed eighth and the women were 11th as the team earned five medals. Purdue totaled 12 top-eight podium finishes and had 11 top-10 marks in school history at the two-day meet. Craig, Justin Becker and Johnny Vanos all earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades with their silver-medal finishes, as Becker and Vanos, now Purdue graduates, were recognized in the 200-meter and weight throw, respectively. The men saw their four-year streak of finishing in the top seven come to an end, a run from 2019-22 that was preceded by the team finishing outside of the top nine in four consecutive years (2015-18) and in nine of the previous 13 (2006-18).
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Two Boilermakers appear in the top-25 in the week five national TFRI top-25 rankings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Graduate student Cameron Miller is ranked No. 1 in the country in the 200m, thanks to his school-record time of 20.40. Junior Praise Aniamaka checks in at No. 18 in the triple jump with a mark of 15.86m.
In the #EventSquad rankings, the men are No. 6 in the high jump and the women are No. 12 nationally in the pentathlon. The men also check in at No. 16 in the 200m.
LAST TIME OUT: BUSY WEEKEND IN CHICAGO AND CLEMSON
Purdue closed out the regular season at a pair of meets from February 9-10, at the Windy City Invitational in Chicago and the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina. In total at the two-day events, Purdue accumulated four top-10 marks in school history, 12 PRs, six season-bests and seven top-three finishes.
At Clemson, juniors Rieko Wilford and Damazvia Dames moved up to No. 3 and No. 4 in school history in the triple jump with the best marks since 2014. Meanwhile in Chicago, junior Emma Squires and senior Payne Turney both entered the top-10 lists, at No. 4 in the 3,000-meter and No. 9 in the mile, respectively. Squires ran the fastest 3,000m since 2002 and Turney notched the best mile time since 2016.
A complete recap from day one and day two, including full results, can be found at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
NEXT UP: NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Qualifying Boilermakers will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 8-9 in Boston. The NCAA field will be announced following all of the conference championship meets.
The outdoor track & field season begins one week later, on March 15.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.
The championships begin on Friday, February 23, with the first heptathlon event at 10:40 a.m. ET and the opening pentathlon event at 11:30 a.m. Purdue's first field and track events both are at 1 p.m., with the women's long jump and men's mile prelims. Friday concludes with the distance medley relay, which starts at 7:20 p.m. On Saturday, the heptathlon continues at 11 a.m., while the Boilermakers' opening field event is the women's triple jump at noon. Running events commence at 1:30 with the men's mile final. The championships will close with the 4x400 relay at 4:55 p.m.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results and watch all the action live on B1G+ (Friday Field | Friday Track | Saturday Field | Saturday Track), with a B1G+ subscription required. Championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at BigTen.org/ITFChamps. Additional updates from Geneva also can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
Forty-three Boilermakers will represent the Old Gold and Black and compete in 14 men's events and 11 women's events. The Spire Institute will serve as host of the championships for the fifth consecutive year and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.
Three Purdue medalists from a year ago will return to the Spire to defend their spot in the top three this weekend. Now-sophomore Bryanna Craig was the runner-up in the pentathlon in her freshman season in 2023 thanks to 4,046 points that is fourth-best in school history. Craig, who also took silver outdoors in the heptathlon, was one of three Boilermakers to finish second at last year's indoor championships. Now-senior LJ Hill and now-junior Praise Aniamaka each claimed bronze, in the long jump and triple jump, respectively. Aniamaka then went on to win the outdoor triple jump title. Four runners also are back at the Big Ten Indoor Championships after they won bronze outdoors in a relay event.
The always-competitive Big Ten Championships features some of the best teams in the country among the 13 women's programs and 11 men's squads in the conference. This week's USTFCCCA national rankings includes No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 22 Penn State and No. 23 Illinois in the men's top-25 and No. 17 Illinois and No. 23 Minnesota in the women's poll.
PURDUE'S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
The Purdue women won the Big Ten indoor team championship in 2001 and have placed second five times, most recently in 2018. The men have earned three runner-up finishes, in 1989, 2001 and 2008. The Boilermaker men have won 83 individual Big Ten titles indoors, while the women have claimed 49 individual crowns.
At the 2023 indoor championships, the Boilermaker men placed eighth and the women were 11th as the team earned five medals. Purdue totaled 12 top-eight podium finishes and had 11 top-10 marks in school history at the two-day meet. Craig, Justin Becker and Johnny Vanos all earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades with their silver-medal finishes, as Becker and Vanos, now Purdue graduates, were recognized in the 200-meter and weight throw, respectively. The men saw their four-year streak of finishing in the top seven come to an end, a run from 2019-22 that was preceded by the team finishing outside of the top nine in four consecutive years (2015-18) and in nine of the previous 13 (2006-18).
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Two Boilermakers appear in the top-25 in the week five national TFRI top-25 rankings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Graduate student Cameron Miller is ranked No. 1 in the country in the 200m, thanks to his school-record time of 20.40. Junior Praise Aniamaka checks in at No. 18 in the triple jump with a mark of 15.86m.
In the #EventSquad rankings, the men are No. 6 in the high jump and the women are No. 12 nationally in the pentathlon. The men also check in at No. 16 in the 200m.
LAST TIME OUT: BUSY WEEKEND IN CHICAGO AND CLEMSON
Purdue closed out the regular season at a pair of meets from February 9-10, at the Windy City Invitational in Chicago and the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina. In total at the two-day events, Purdue accumulated four top-10 marks in school history, 12 PRs, six season-bests and seven top-three finishes.
At Clemson, juniors Rieko Wilford and Damazvia Dames moved up to No. 3 and No. 4 in school history in the triple jump with the best marks since 2014. Meanwhile in Chicago, junior Emma Squires and senior Payne Turney both entered the top-10 lists, at No. 4 in the 3,000-meter and No. 9 in the mile, respectively. Squires ran the fastest 3,000m since 2002 and Turney notched the best mile time since 2016.
A complete recap from day one and day two, including full results, can be found at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
NEXT UP: NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Qualifying Boilermakers will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 8-9 in Boston. The NCAA field will be announced following all of the conference championship meets.
The outdoor track & field season begins one week later, on March 15.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.