WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Track & Field prepares to begin the 2026 portion of its schedule at the Rod McCravy Memorial, hosted by Kentucky, in Louisville Jan. 9-10.
Douglas Buckeridge opened the track & field season on Dec. 6 in Boston where he ran the No. 5 5000m time in Purdue history (14:01.12). Sprints, jumps and throws are the three event groups that will compete in Louisville this weekend.
Men’s Notes
• The men’s program returns 16 athletes and welcomes 17 new athletes for the 2025-26 season.
• Samuel Vessat was named Purdue’s Big Ten Men’s Indoor Track & Field Athlete to Watch. He transferred to Purdue from Division II Edward Waters and will participate in his first indoor season after he played two seasons of basketball to start his collegiate career. He was the 18th-place finisher in the 400m at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.
• Bode Gilkerson returns after he finished fourth in the high jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships last season. He improved upon his indoor season by finishing the outdoor season 13th at the NCAA Championships.
• Connor Czajkowski was part of the 4x400m last season that won the Big Ten indoor title and finished 10th at the NCAA Championships.
• Purdue welcomes back Chidozie Kalu who only participated in one meet last season when he produced the No. 9 triple jump mark in Purdue history and was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week. He was an ACC bronze medalist in 2024 while at Virginia Tech.
• Zyan Greene joined the program from Coffeyville CC, where he was a two-time indoor All-American in the 400m and one time in the 4x400m. He twice finished seventh in the 400m at the NJCAA Indoor Championships.
Women’s Notes
• The women’s program returns 19 athletes and welcomes 17 new athletes for the 2025-26 season.
• Alexia Smith was named Purdue’s Big Ten Women’s Indoor Track & Field Athlete to Watch. She led the 2025 4x400m to a fifth place finish at indoor Big Tens and she finished sixth in the 400m. She owns four top 10 placements in indoor school history.
• Zoe Sullivan is Purdue’s lone All-American returner on the women’s side after she finished 12th in the 60mH at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships. She has scored points with sixth and eighth place finishes in the 60mH at indoor Big Tens in her two seasons as a Boilermaker.
• Nia Wilson will look to get to the Big Ten Indoor 60m finals after she finished 11th last season. Her 7.32 in the event ranks tied for second in school history.
• Britannia Johnson qualified for the finals in the weight throw at indoor Big Tens last season and finished ninth. She holds the No. 5 weight throw (20.42m / 67-00.00) in school history.
• Ashley Odiase is set for her first season at Purdue after she spent her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton. She only competed in one indoor meet and followed with a Big West bronze medal in the 200m and finished 29th at the NCAA West First Round.
• Lucca Agate spent four seasons at Miami (Ohio) where she scored points four times at the MAC Indoor Championships. Her best finish was earning bronze in the 4x400m last season.
Next Up
Purdue will split the squad for the first time this season Jan. 16-17 between the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas and Hoosier Horsepower Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana.
