LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Purdue track & field team's 16 qualifiers are set to compete at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships First Round in Lexington, Kentucky, from May 22-25.
The Boilermakers' 16 qualifiers are represented by 18 student-athletes in 14 different events. Purdue has multiple competitors in two events, and one relay also is among the field for the Old Gold and Black. The four-day meet, with spots at the NCAA Championships on the line, is hosted by the University of Kentucky at the Outdoor Track & Field Complex.
The men compete on Wednesday, May 22, and Friday, May 24, and the women take to the track on Thursday, May 23, and Saturday, May 25. On Wednesday, Purdue's week begins with the hammer throw at 10 a.m. ET and the team's first running event is the 100-meter first round at 7 p.m. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 100m hurdles first round at 6 p.m. to open their day. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., with the squad's first running event the 3,000m steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. Saturday's action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. and the triple jump at 6 p.m.
A complete rundown of Purdue's competitors in each event, and their schedules, is outlined below.
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). Additional NCAA First Round information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available UKAthletics.com. Updates from Lexington 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 qualifiers are graduate students Cameron Miller (200m) and Safin Wills (long jump, triple jump), senior Caleb Williams (3,000m steeplechase), juniors Praise Aniamaka (triple jump), Cale Ayers (hammer throw), Emma Squires (3,000m steeplechase), Zoe Sullivan (100m hurdles) and Rieko Wilford (triple jump), sophomores Seth Allen (discus), Collin Kao (pole vault), Nolan Macklin (100m) and Leo Maxwell (hammer throw), freshmen Bode Gilkerson (high jump) and Alexia Smith (400m) and the men's 4x400 relay.
The NCAA East First Round, along with the West First Round, 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 Eugene, Oregon, from June 5-8.
SETH ALLEN: DISCUS
Allen competes at NCAAs in the discus for the second year in a row on Friday at 1 p.m. With the second-best throw in school history, he is seeded No. 6. A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen's mark of 60.95 meters won him a Big Ten title on May 12.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
The back-to-back Big Ten champion in the triple jump, Aniamaka will compete on Friday at 6 p.m. at his third career NCAA meet and second first round outdoors. He is seeded No. 5 thanks to a meet-record jump of 16.49m at last weekend's Big Ten meet, which moved him up to No. 2 on Purdue's top-10 list. From Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Aniamaka was ninth nationally at each of his previous two NCAA appearances, outdoors in 2023 and indoors earlier this season.
CALE AYERS: HAMMER THROW
Ayers makes his NCAA debut on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the hammer throw. He is the No. 37 seed after a personal-best mark of 62.67m at the Big Ten Championships on May 9. That throw earned the Coudersport, Pennsylvania native a seventh-place finish, his first career spot on the Big Ten podium.
BODE GILKERSON: HIGH JUMP
At his first NCAA meet, Gilkerson will compete in the high jump on Friday at 2 p.m. He is seeded No. 32 with a personal-best mark of 2.11m on April 13 at Illinois. From Monrovia, Indiana, Gilkerson entered the top-10 list indoors at No. 9 with a jump of 2.15m.
COLLIN KAO: POLE VAULT
Kao qualified for his first NCAA Championships and will compete in the pole vault on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Lindenhurst, Illinois, native is the No. 48 seed and earned his NCAA spot with a clearance of 5.12m at the Drake Relays on April 27. That's the best mark by a Boilermaker since 2015.
NOLAN MACKLIN: 100m
Macklin made his NCAA debut a year ago in the 100m and 4x100 and is back in the 100m, with the first round on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and the quarterfinal on Friday at 6:35 p.m. Macklin is seeded No. 47 with a time of 10.37, which the Frisco, Texas, native achieved on March 16 in Florida.
LEO MAXWELL: HAMMER THROW
Maxwell made his first NCAA Championships in the hammer throw, and will compete on Wednesday at 10 a.m. As the No. 25 seed, the native of Guilford, Indiana, earned his spot with a throw of 64.12m. It's No. 8 all-time and came at Kentucky on April 19.
CAMERON MILLER: 200m
The school record-holder both indoors and outdoors in the 200m, Miller punched his ticket to his fourth NCAA meet in the 200m and will race in the first round on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m., while the quarterfinals are set for Friday at 7:50 p.m. Miller's 20.33 was set on April 12 at Florida and broke the previous Purdue mark of 20.37 set in 1972. Indoors earlier this year, Miller earned First Team All-America honors in the 200m, and he also was eighth outdoors and fourth indoors in 2023 at the national meet in the 200m. From Dallas, Texas, Miller is a four-time First Team All-American. He is the No. 3 seed this week after a 19.97-w won him a Big Ten title on May 12.
ALEXIA SMITH: 400m
Smith qualified for her inaugural NCAA event and will run in the 400m first round on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. before the quarterfinals on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. An Evansville, Indiana, native, Smith is seeded No. 42 and ran a 53.56 on April 27 in Arizona to enter the record book at No. 10. She was sixth in the event at Big Tens last weekend.
EMMA SQUIRES: 3,000m STEEPLECHASE
Squires will race in the 3,000m steeplechase on Saturday at 5:40 p.m. and is seeded No. 48. Purdue's first distance runner to qualify for NCAAs, indoors or outdoors, since 2018, Squires will make her NCAA track & field debut, though the Petoskey, Michigan, native has competed at three NCAA Cross Country Regionals. Her time of 10:25.81 sits at No. 7 in Purdue history and was the first top-10 time since 2015, and Squires also notched a fourth-place finish at Big Tens on May 11.
ZOE SULLIVAN: 100m HURDLES
Sullivan used a 100m hurdles time of 13.37 to make her first NCAA Championships. That time, set in the Big Ten final on May 12, is No. 5 in Boilermaker history and earned her a fourth-place conference finish. The first-year Boilermaker from Indianapolis, Indiana, is seeded No. 37, with the first round on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the quarterfinals on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
RIEKO WILFORD: TRIPLE JUMP
Wilford is back for her third NCAA meet in the triple jump on Saturday at 6 p.m. She has qualified all three years, along with 2023 and 2022. A native of University Place, Washington, Wilford made this year's meet with a season-best jump of 12.75m, which came on April 20 at Kentucky with a runner-up finish.
CALEB WILLIAMS: 3,000m STEEPLECHASE
A first-time NCAA track & field qualifier with two NCAA cross country regional appearances, Williams will run in the 3,000m steeplechase on Friday at 5:40 p.m. as the No. 29 seed. He punched his NCAA ticket with a time of 8:49.99 to place third at the venerable Drake Relays on April 25. That time is No. 5 in the record books for the West Lafayette, Indiana, native, who most recently was fifth at Big Tens on May 11.
SAFIN WILLS: LONG JUMP AND TRIPLE JUMP
Wills will make his third NCAA meet, each time qualifying in the long jump and triple jump. He competes in the long jump on Wednesday at 5 p.m. as the 24th seed and in the triple jump on Friday at 6 p.m. as the No. 11 seed. Wills was 15th nationally in the triple jump and 20th in the long jump in 2022, and he reached nationals in the triple jump in 2021 and was 22nd. From Rock Hall, St. Andrew, Jamaica, Wills is coming off an impressive Big Ten performance, where he was fifth in both the long jump and triple jump. His triple jump of 15.95m on May 12 put him at No. 8 in school history, and a long jump mark of 7.70m on April 13 at Illinois sits at No. 3 all-time and is Purdue's best since 1989.
MEN'S 4X400 RELAY
The men's 4x400 relay team is coming off a bronze-medal showing at Big Tens, and they will race on Friday at 8:45 p.m. Purdue ran a season-best time of 3:06.97, a mark that is No. 5 in school history and the best since 2019. The finish was earned by senior Jahn Riley, junior Brett Otterbacher, freshman Nickens Lemba and sophomore Connor Czajkowski, as the foursome earned the No. 21 seed this week.
NEXT UP: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Advancing Boilermakers will compete for a national title in their events at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 5-8.
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 Boilermakers' 16 qualifiers are represented by 18 student-athletes in 14 different events. Purdue has multiple competitors in two events, and one relay also is among the field for the Old Gold and Black. The four-day meet, with spots at the NCAA Championships on the line, is hosted by the University of Kentucky at the Outdoor Track & Field Complex.
The men compete on Wednesday, May 22, and Friday, May 24, and the women take to the track on Thursday, May 23, and Saturday, May 25. On Wednesday, Purdue's week begins with the hammer throw at 10 a.m. ET and the team's first running event is the 100-meter first round at 7 p.m. Thursday sees the Boilermakers race in the 100m hurdles first round at 6 p.m. to open their day. On Friday, the discus starts at 1 p.m., with the squad's first running event the 3,000m steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. Saturday's action gets underway for the Old Gold and Black with the steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. and the triple jump at 6 p.m.
A complete rundown of Purdue's competitors in each event, and their schedules, is outlined below.
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). Additional NCAA First Round information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available UKAthletics.com. Updates from Lexington 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 qualifiers are graduate students Cameron Miller (200m) and Safin Wills (long jump, triple jump), senior Caleb Williams (3,000m steeplechase), juniors Praise Aniamaka (triple jump), Cale Ayers (hammer throw), Emma Squires (3,000m steeplechase), Zoe Sullivan (100m hurdles) and Rieko Wilford (triple jump), sophomores Seth Allen (discus), Collin Kao (pole vault), Nolan Macklin (100m) and Leo Maxwell (hammer throw), freshmen Bode Gilkerson (high jump) and Alexia Smith (400m) and the men's 4x400 relay.
The NCAA East First Round, along with the West First Round, 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 Eugene, Oregon, from June 5-8.
SETH ALLEN: DISCUS
Allen competes at NCAAs in the discus for the second year in a row on Friday at 1 p.m. With the second-best throw in school history, he is seeded No. 6. A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen's mark of 60.95 meters won him a Big Ten title on May 12.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
The back-to-back Big Ten champion in the triple jump, Aniamaka will compete on Friday at 6 p.m. at his third career NCAA meet and second first round outdoors. He is seeded No. 5 thanks to a meet-record jump of 16.49m at last weekend's Big Ten meet, which moved him up to No. 2 on Purdue's top-10 list. From Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Aniamaka was ninth nationally at each of his previous two NCAA appearances, outdoors in 2023 and indoors earlier this season.
CALE AYERS: HAMMER THROW
Ayers makes his NCAA debut on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the hammer throw. He is the No. 37 seed after a personal-best mark of 62.67m at the Big Ten Championships on May 9. That throw earned the Coudersport, Pennsylvania native a seventh-place finish, his first career spot on the Big Ten podium.
BODE GILKERSON: HIGH JUMP
At his first NCAA meet, Gilkerson will compete in the high jump on Friday at 2 p.m. He is seeded No. 32 with a personal-best mark of 2.11m on April 13 at Illinois. From Monrovia, Indiana, Gilkerson entered the top-10 list indoors at No. 9 with a jump of 2.15m.
COLLIN KAO: POLE VAULT
Kao qualified for his first NCAA Championships and will compete in the pole vault on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Lindenhurst, Illinois, native is the No. 48 seed and earned his NCAA spot with a clearance of 5.12m at the Drake Relays on April 27. That's the best mark by a Boilermaker since 2015.
NOLAN MACKLIN: 100m
Macklin made his NCAA debut a year ago in the 100m and 4x100 and is back in the 100m, with the first round on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and the quarterfinal on Friday at 6:35 p.m. Macklin is seeded No. 47 with a time of 10.37, which the Frisco, Texas, native achieved on March 16 in Florida.
LEO MAXWELL: HAMMER THROW
Maxwell made his first NCAA Championships in the hammer throw, and will compete on Wednesday at 10 a.m. As the No. 25 seed, the native of Guilford, Indiana, earned his spot with a throw of 64.12m. It's No. 8 all-time and came at Kentucky on April 19.
CAMERON MILLER: 200m
The school record-holder both indoors and outdoors in the 200m, Miller punched his ticket to his fourth NCAA meet in the 200m and will race in the first round on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m., while the quarterfinals are set for Friday at 7:50 p.m. Miller's 20.33 was set on April 12 at Florida and broke the previous Purdue mark of 20.37 set in 1972. Indoors earlier this year, Miller earned First Team All-America honors in the 200m, and he also was eighth outdoors and fourth indoors in 2023 at the national meet in the 200m. From Dallas, Texas, Miller is a four-time First Team All-American. He is the No. 3 seed this week after a 19.97-w won him a Big Ten title on May 12.
ALEXIA SMITH: 400m
Smith qualified for her inaugural NCAA event and will run in the 400m first round on Thursday at 7:25 p.m. before the quarterfinals on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. An Evansville, Indiana, native, Smith is seeded No. 42 and ran a 53.56 on April 27 in Arizona to enter the record book at No. 10. She was sixth in the event at Big Tens last weekend.
EMMA SQUIRES: 3,000m STEEPLECHASE
Squires will race in the 3,000m steeplechase on Saturday at 5:40 p.m. and is seeded No. 48. Purdue's first distance runner to qualify for NCAAs, indoors or outdoors, since 2018, Squires will make her NCAA track & field debut, though the Petoskey, Michigan, native has competed at three NCAA Cross Country Regionals. Her time of 10:25.81 sits at No. 7 in Purdue history and was the first top-10 time since 2015, and Squires also notched a fourth-place finish at Big Tens on May 11.
ZOE SULLIVAN: 100m HURDLES
Sullivan used a 100m hurdles time of 13.37 to make her first NCAA Championships. That time, set in the Big Ten final on May 12, is No. 5 in Boilermaker history and earned her a fourth-place conference finish. The first-year Boilermaker from Indianapolis, Indiana, is seeded No. 37, with the first round on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the quarterfinals on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
RIEKO WILFORD: TRIPLE JUMP
Wilford is back for her third NCAA meet in the triple jump on Saturday at 6 p.m. She has qualified all three years, along with 2023 and 2022. A native of University Place, Washington, Wilford made this year's meet with a season-best jump of 12.75m, which came on April 20 at Kentucky with a runner-up finish.
CALEB WILLIAMS: 3,000m STEEPLECHASE
A first-time NCAA track & field qualifier with two NCAA cross country regional appearances, Williams will run in the 3,000m steeplechase on Friday at 5:40 p.m. as the No. 29 seed. He punched his NCAA ticket with a time of 8:49.99 to place third at the venerable Drake Relays on April 25. That time is No. 5 in the record books for the West Lafayette, Indiana, native, who most recently was fifth at Big Tens on May 11.
SAFIN WILLS: LONG JUMP AND TRIPLE JUMP
Wills will make his third NCAA meet, each time qualifying in the long jump and triple jump. He competes in the long jump on Wednesday at 5 p.m. as the 24th seed and in the triple jump on Friday at 6 p.m. as the No. 11 seed. Wills was 15th nationally in the triple jump and 20th in the long jump in 2022, and he reached nationals in the triple jump in 2021 and was 22nd. From Rock Hall, St. Andrew, Jamaica, Wills is coming off an impressive Big Ten performance, where he was fifth in both the long jump and triple jump. His triple jump of 15.95m on May 12 put him at No. 8 in school history, and a long jump mark of 7.70m on April 13 at Illinois sits at No. 3 all-time and is Purdue's best since 1989.
MEN'S 4X400 RELAY
The men's 4x400 relay team is coming off a bronze-medal showing at Big Tens, and they will race on Friday at 8:45 p.m. Purdue ran a season-best time of 3:06.97, a mark that is No. 5 in school history and the best since 2019. The finish was earned by senior Jahn Riley, junior Brett Otterbacher, freshman Nickens Lemba and sophomore Connor Czajkowski, as the foursome earned the No. 21 seed this week.
NEXT UP: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Advancing Boilermakers will compete for a national title in their events at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 5-8.
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.