WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Track & Field’s Britannie Johnson and Samuel Vessat were named Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch. Vessat was also Purdue’s indoor athlete to watch.
Vessat is coming off the best 400m indoor campaign in Purdue history after he finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn First Team All-American honors. He was the only Boilermaker to qualify for a 400m final (indoor or outdoor) and just the second All-American in the event, joining Brian Faust (2020-21).
In his first indoor season ever, Vessat set new French short track national and Purdue indoor records with his 45.30 in the NCAA Championships prelims. He twice set the French record this year, while he set a new school record three times. He also led Purdue to a B1G silver medal with the second-ranked 4x400m time in school history (3:04.97).
The Paris, France native enters his first outdoor season as a Boilermaker after he finished 18th at the NCAA Division II Championships (47.05) last season at Edward Waters. Vessat burst onto the scene last summer during the French Athletics Championships when he ran 45.39 in the semifinals and took fifth in the finals (45.60).
Johnson put together one of the strongest indoor throwing campaigns by a Boilermaker and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the weight throw by just one spot (17th).
Her indoor season featured the No. 2 weight throw (21.67m / 71-01.25) and No. 4 shot put (16.08m / 52-09.25) in indoor school history. She joins program record holder in both events, Dani Bunch, as the only two Boilermakers to rank top five in both events.
The Kingston, Jamaica native qualified for the NCAA East First Round in the discus in her first season last outdoor before an injury held her out of the regional meet. Johnson holds the No. 5 discus (53.05m / 174-00) and No. 7 shot put (15.37m / 50-05.25) in outdoor school history.
Purdue is set to open the outdoor season at the USF Alumni Invitational (March 20-21) in Tampa, Florida.
