EUGENE, Ore. – The Purdue track & field team began the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with second team and honorable mention All-America accolades on Wednesday evening in Eugene, Oregon.
Graduate student Cameron Miller was 12th in the 200-meter to earn his sixth career All-America honor and the men's 4x400 relay was 19th to begin the four-day national championships at Oregon's Hayward Field.
Miller and the 4x400 relay are two of five entries for the Old Gold and Black at this weekend's NCAA Championships. Along with today's two events on the track, the Boilermakers have two entries in the triple jump and one in the discus on Friday.
Purdue's day began with Miller in the 200m, where he was 12th in 20.36 seconds. He was fourth overall in the third and final heat and finished 0.05 seconds shy of a top-nine finish and a spot in Friday's final.
The school record-holder both indoors and outdoors in the 200m and this year's outdoor Big Ten champion, Miller raced at his fourth career NCAA Championships and second outdoors. His Second Team All-America honors go along with first team accolades in the 200m earlier this year indoors. In 2023, Miller collected first team distinction in the 200m indoors, 200m outdoors and 4x100, along with being named an honorable mention selection in the 4x400.
In the final running event of the day, the Boilermaker's 4x400 relay was 19th in 3:07.71. Junior Brett Otterbacher, sophomore Connor Czajkowski, freshman Nickens Lemba and senior Jahn Riley raced in the second of three heats, which produced the two fastest times overall.
With the finish, the relay, which won a bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships on May 12 and broke the program record at the NCAA First Round on May 24, is recognized with Honorable Mention All-America accolades. Czajkowski and Riley added to their career awards list, as they also earned honorable mention distinction in the 4x100 relay last season. Wednesday marked the NCAA Championships debut for both Lemba and Otterbacher.
The second day of the men's competition is Friday, June 7. The discus will get Purdue's day started at 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT, followed by the triple jump at 9:20 p.m. ET / 6:20 p.m. PT. Graduate student Safin Wills and junior Praise Aniamaka will compete in the triple jump and sophomore Seth Allen competes in the discus.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results and watch all of the action live on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Additional NCAA Championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at NCAA.com. Updates from Eugene 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 has five entries at this week's national championships, up from three a year ago. The Boilermakers' five men's qualifiers is tied for second-most among Big Ten programs.
The NCAA Championships feature 24 entries in each event, 12 who qualified from the NCAA East First Round and 12 from the west. Purdue's five entries all earned national championships berths in Lexington, Kentucky, from May 22-25.
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.
Graduate student Cameron Miller was 12th in the 200-meter to earn his sixth career All-America honor and the men's 4x400 relay was 19th to begin the four-day national championships at Oregon's Hayward Field.
Miller and the 4x400 relay are two of five entries for the Old Gold and Black at this weekend's NCAA Championships. Along with today's two events on the track, the Boilermakers have two entries in the triple jump and one in the discus on Friday.
Purdue's day began with Miller in the 200m, where he was 12th in 20.36 seconds. He was fourth overall in the third and final heat and finished 0.05 seconds shy of a top-nine finish and a spot in Friday's final.
The school record-holder both indoors and outdoors in the 200m and this year's outdoor Big Ten champion, Miller raced at his fourth career NCAA Championships and second outdoors. His Second Team All-America honors go along with first team accolades in the 200m earlier this year indoors. In 2023, Miller collected first team distinction in the 200m indoors, 200m outdoors and 4x100, along with being named an honorable mention selection in the 4x400.
In the final running event of the day, the Boilermaker's 4x400 relay was 19th in 3:07.71. Junior Brett Otterbacher, sophomore Connor Czajkowski, freshman Nickens Lemba and senior Jahn Riley raced in the second of three heats, which produced the two fastest times overall.
With the finish, the relay, which won a bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships on May 12 and broke the program record at the NCAA First Round on May 24, is recognized with Honorable Mention All-America accolades. Czajkowski and Riley added to their career awards list, as they also earned honorable mention distinction in the 4x100 relay last season. Wednesday marked the NCAA Championships debut for both Lemba and Otterbacher.
The second day of the men's competition is Friday, June 7. The discus will get Purdue's day started at 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT, followed by the triple jump at 9:20 p.m. ET / 6:20 p.m. PT. Graduate student Safin Wills and junior Praise Aniamaka will compete in the triple jump and sophomore Seth Allen competes in the discus.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results and watch all of the action live on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Additional NCAA Championships information, including the complete schedule, is available at NCAA.com. Updates from Eugene 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 has five entries at this week's national championships, up from three a year ago. The Boilermakers' five men's qualifiers is tied for second-most among Big Ten programs.
The NCAA Championships feature 24 entries in each event, 12 who qualified from the NCAA East First Round and 12 from the west. Purdue's five entries all earned national championships berths in Lexington, Kentucky, from May 22-25.
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.