GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A school record by graduate student Cameron Miller led the way for the Purdue track & field team on the opening day of the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, on Friday.
On a warm and sun-filled afternoon, Miller broke a 52-year-old record in the 200-meter, his second program record of the 2023-24 indoor and outdoor seasons. Junior Emma Squires also entered the record books with a win and the seventh-fastest time in school history in her 3,000m steeplechase collegiate debut. Sophomore Kiefer Bell added a win of his own on Friday.
The Boilermakers' sprinters, distance runners and throwers made the trip to the Sunshine State to compete for two days at Florida's James G. Pressly Stadium and Percy Beard Track. Also this weekend, Purdue's jumpers and select sprinters and distance runners are competing at Illinois on Saturday.
Miller ran the 200m in 20.33 seconds to enter the record books at No. 1. The record-setting run topped Larry Burton's previous record of 20.37, which had stood since 1972. Miller and Burton are the only two Boilermakers to ever break 20.45 in the event. With Friday's finish, Miller was sixth in the 200m invitational field at the highly-competitive Florida meet.
Today's record comes less than three months after Miller ran the fastest 200m indoor time in team history. That mark of 20.40 seconds toppled a 20-year-old Purdue record.
Squires won the 3,000m steeplechase with a record-book time of her own. She finished in 10:25.81 to stamp her name at No. 7 in the record books. Squires' winning time is the best by a Boilermaker since 2015 and led a one-two-three finish for the Old Gold and Black. Junior Jaelyn Burgos (2nd, 10:34.91) and sophomore Sarah Maggio (3rd, 10:42.60) came in just behind Squires, with Maggio edging out the fourth-place runner by 2.01 seconds.
Bell led a one-two-finish for the men in the 3,000m steeplechase. Bell crossed the finish line in first place in 9:05.71, followed by junior teammate Nathan Walker, who earned a mark of 9:06.43. Walker bested the next closest finisher by more than eight seconds.
All five Boilermaker steeplechasers – Bell, Burgos, Maggio, Squires and Walker – were running in the 3,000m steeplechase for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Sophomore Rebecca Caliendo opened the day with a personal-best throw of 52.02 meters in the hammer.
Purdue's weekend continues on Saturday, April 13, with the second and final day of the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, along with the first and only day of the Gary Wieneke Memorial in Champaign, Illinois.
Fans unable to cheer the Boilermakers on in person can follow along with live results (Florida | Illinois) and the meet schedules (Florida | Illinois). Both meets also will feature a live stream of the action (Florida | Illinois). Additional updates from 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.
Florida's two-day meet concludes on Saturday, with field events beginning the day at 9 a.m. ET. The squad's first running event is at 10:15 a.m. The 100m will end the meet for the Old Gold and Black at 5:30 p.m.
At Illinois' Demirjian Park on Saturday, the meet gets underway with field events at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT, and running events commencing one hour later. The meet is expected to conclude at 5:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. CT.
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.
On a warm and sun-filled afternoon, Miller broke a 52-year-old record in the 200-meter, his second program record of the 2023-24 indoor and outdoor seasons. Junior Emma Squires also entered the record books with a win and the seventh-fastest time in school history in her 3,000m steeplechase collegiate debut. Sophomore Kiefer Bell added a win of his own on Friday.
The Boilermakers' sprinters, distance runners and throwers made the trip to the Sunshine State to compete for two days at Florida's James G. Pressly Stadium and Percy Beard Track. Also this weekend, Purdue's jumpers and select sprinters and distance runners are competing at Illinois on Saturday.
Miller ran the 200m in 20.33 seconds to enter the record books at No. 1. The record-setting run topped Larry Burton's previous record of 20.37, which had stood since 1972. Miller and Burton are the only two Boilermakers to ever break 20.45 in the event. With Friday's finish, Miller was sixth in the 200m invitational field at the highly-competitive Florida meet.
Today's record comes less than three months after Miller ran the fastest 200m indoor time in team history. That mark of 20.40 seconds toppled a 20-year-old Purdue record.
Squires won the 3,000m steeplechase with a record-book time of her own. She finished in 10:25.81 to stamp her name at No. 7 in the record books. Squires' winning time is the best by a Boilermaker since 2015 and led a one-two-three finish for the Old Gold and Black. Junior Jaelyn Burgos (2nd, 10:34.91) and sophomore Sarah Maggio (3rd, 10:42.60) came in just behind Squires, with Maggio edging out the fourth-place runner by 2.01 seconds.
Bell led a one-two-finish for the men in the 3,000m steeplechase. Bell crossed the finish line in first place in 9:05.71, followed by junior teammate Nathan Walker, who earned a mark of 9:06.43. Walker bested the next closest finisher by more than eight seconds.
All five Boilermaker steeplechasers – Bell, Burgos, Maggio, Squires and Walker – were running in the 3,000m steeplechase for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Sophomore Rebecca Caliendo opened the day with a personal-best throw of 52.02 meters in the hammer.
Purdue's weekend continues on Saturday, April 13, with the second and final day of the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, along with the first and only day of the Gary Wieneke Memorial in Champaign, Illinois.
Fans unable to cheer the Boilermakers on in person can follow along with live results (Florida | Illinois) and the meet schedules (Florida | Illinois). Both meets also will feature a live stream of the action (Florida | Illinois). Additional updates from 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.
Florida's two-day meet concludes on Saturday, with field events beginning the day at 9 a.m. ET. The squad's first running event is at 10:15 a.m. The 100m will end the meet for the Old Gold and Black at 5:30 p.m.
At Illinois' Demirjian Park on Saturday, the meet gets underway with field events at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT, and running events commencing one hour later. The meet is expected to conclude at 5:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. CT.
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.