DES MOINES, Iowa – The Purdue track & field team opened the Drake Relays with three top-10 times in school history and a victory at Drake Stadium on Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa.
A pair of record-book marks in the steeplechase, by senior Caleb Williams and junior Jaelyn Burgos, was followed by a top-10 time in the 10,000-meters from senior Caroline Jordan. Junior Jason Polydoris won the 10,000m to conclude the night.
The Boilermakers earned four top-five finishes and registered five personal-best times on the first of three days at the nationally-renowned Drake Relays. In the final weekend of the regular season, Purdue's distance runners, throwers and jumpers are competing at the Drake Relays from April 25-27 and the sprinters and jumpers are at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona, on April 27.
One of the team's first events of the meet in Des Moines was the women's 3,000m steeplechase, where Burgos etched her name in the record book. In her third collegiate steeplechase race, Burgos posted a time of 10:29.86, ninth-fastest in school history. She was seventh overall with a time that is a PR by more than five seconds. In a tightly contested finish, Burgos was one of three runners to finish within one second of each other
The men's 3,000m steeplechase was the very next event at Drake Stadium, and Williams moved up on Purdue's top-10 list. With a PR by almost seven seconds, he finished in 8:49.99 to climb two spots to No. 5 all-time. It's the best time by a Boilermaker since the record was set in 2021. Williams was third in the race and now has a time that is No. 26 in the NCAA East Region.
Jordan also wrote her name into the record book at No. 7 in the women's 10,000m. She crossed the finish line in 34:56.43, a personal-best by more than one minute, and was fifth overall in the event. Jordan boasts the best 10,000m time by a Boilermaker in three seasons.
To conclude the night, Polydoris won the men's edition of the 10,000m. He also ran a collegiate-best, with a mark of 29:46.03, and won by almost a 20-second margin. It's Polydoris' second win of his collegiate career, along with a victory in the 5,000m just two weeks ago.
Also on Thursday night, junior Brady Yoder was fourth in the unseeded 5,000m, as he notched a PR of 14:17.12. Graduate students Meredith Bloss (10,000m, 36:14.28) and Nathaniel Getachew (3,000m steeplechase, 9:09.11) earned season-best times.
The Drake Relays continue on Friday before the final day on the Blue Oval on Saturday. The one and only day of the Desert Heat Classic is set for Saturday night.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results (Drake | Arizona) and the meet schedules (Drake | Arizona). There also will be a live stream of the Drake Relays. Additional updates 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.
Hosted at Drake Stadium, the Drake Relays features throwing and jumping events for the Boilermakers on Friday, April 26, with the team's first event at 12:15 p.m. ET / 11:15 a.m. CT. On Saturday, April 27, two field events are on the schedule for Purdue, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Arizona's Drachman Stadium will host the Desert Heat Classic on Saturday, April 27. The Boilermakers are scheduled to begin competition at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. MT, and the one-day event will wrap up shortly after 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. MT.
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.
A pair of record-book marks in the steeplechase, by senior Caleb Williams and junior Jaelyn Burgos, was followed by a top-10 time in the 10,000-meters from senior Caroline Jordan. Junior Jason Polydoris won the 10,000m to conclude the night.
The Boilermakers earned four top-five finishes and registered five personal-best times on the first of three days at the nationally-renowned Drake Relays. In the final weekend of the regular season, Purdue's distance runners, throwers and jumpers are competing at the Drake Relays from April 25-27 and the sprinters and jumpers are at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona, on April 27.
One of the team's first events of the meet in Des Moines was the women's 3,000m steeplechase, where Burgos etched her name in the record book. In her third collegiate steeplechase race, Burgos posted a time of 10:29.86, ninth-fastest in school history. She was seventh overall with a time that is a PR by more than five seconds. In a tightly contested finish, Burgos was one of three runners to finish within one second of each other
The men's 3,000m steeplechase was the very next event at Drake Stadium, and Williams moved up on Purdue's top-10 list. With a PR by almost seven seconds, he finished in 8:49.99 to climb two spots to No. 5 all-time. It's the best time by a Boilermaker since the record was set in 2021. Williams was third in the race and now has a time that is No. 26 in the NCAA East Region.
Jordan also wrote her name into the record book at No. 7 in the women's 10,000m. She crossed the finish line in 34:56.43, a personal-best by more than one minute, and was fifth overall in the event. Jordan boasts the best 10,000m time by a Boilermaker in three seasons.
To conclude the night, Polydoris won the men's edition of the 10,000m. He also ran a collegiate-best, with a mark of 29:46.03, and won by almost a 20-second margin. It's Polydoris' second win of his collegiate career, along with a victory in the 5,000m just two weeks ago.
Also on Thursday night, junior Brady Yoder was fourth in the unseeded 5,000m, as he notched a PR of 14:17.12. Graduate students Meredith Bloss (10,000m, 36:14.28) and Nathaniel Getachew (3,000m steeplechase, 9:09.11) earned season-best times.
The Drake Relays continue on Friday before the final day on the Blue Oval on Saturday. The one and only day of the Desert Heat Classic is set for Saturday night.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results (Drake | Arizona) and the meet schedules (Drake | Arizona). There also will be a live stream of the Drake Relays. Additional updates 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.
Hosted at Drake Stadium, the Drake Relays features throwing and jumping events for the Boilermakers on Friday, April 26, with the team's first event at 12:15 p.m. ET / 11:15 a.m. CT. On Saturday, April 27, two field events are on the schedule for Purdue, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Arizona's Drachman Stadium will host the Desert Heat Classic on Saturday, April 27. The Boilermakers are scheduled to begin competition at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. MT, and the one-day event will wrap up shortly after 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. MT.
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.