TAMPA, Fla. – Purdue Track & Field concluded its opening weekend of the 2026 outdoor season on Saturday at the USF Alumni Invitational. The featured one victory and five additions to the school record book.
Men’s Notes
• Seamus Malaski entered Purdue’s record book for a second consecutive day after he threw 54.97m (180-04) in the discus to take the No. 10 program spot and finish as the USF Alumni Invitational runner-up. He also entered the shot put top 10 on Friday.
• The 4x400m relay team of Victory Achakpoekri, Connor Czajkowski, Zach Mylenek and Zyan Greene entered Purdue’s record book at No. 10 and finished fourth at the USF Alumni Invitational (3:07.41).
• Joel Gates, an NCAA East First Round qualifier in the discus last season at Tennessee, finished third (54.29m / 178-01).
• Bode Gilkerson opened his season third in the high jump (2.10m / 6-10.75).
• Zion Jackson took sixth in the 110mH finals (14.49) after he qualified for the finals in 14.57 in his first outdoor meet as a Boilermaker.
• Jordan Moulton ran a wind-aided 10.66 (+2.5 m/s) in his first collegiate 100m. He finished 21st overall and was the fifth-highest freshman finisher.
Women’s Notes
• The 4x100m relay of Nia Wilson, Marissa Palmer, Ashley Odiase and Jayla Cooper entered Purdue’s record book at No. 5 in their first opportunity after running 43.99 and finished third. It was the fastest time for Purdue since 2018.
• The 4x400m relay of Alexia Smith, Palmer, Odiase and Gia Clay took the victory in 3:34.73. Clay finished the race by passing Ohio State during the final leg.
• Blessing Gideon finished as the triple jump runner-up with a wind-aided 12.83m (42-01.25). She jumped a wind-legal 12.57m (41-03.00) in her fourth attempt that enters Purdue’s record book tied for ninth.
• Odiase also entered the 100m rankings tied for ninth after she ran 11.55 to finish third.
• Palmer ran 11.58 in the 100m and held the No. 10 spot in Purdue history until Odiase ran 0.03 seconds faster one heat later. She finished fourth at the USF Alumni Invitational.
• Wilson rounded out the open 100m top five after she ran 11.61.
• Amarianna Lofton took second in the high jump (1.75m (5-08.75) in her Purdue debut, while Jubilee Felder was tied for seventh (1.70m (5-07.00) in her collegiate outdoor debut.
• Britannia Johnson rounded out Purdue’s field event finishes with her sixth-place mark in the discus (52.82m / 173-03).
Next Up
Purdue travels its distance squad to the Raleigh Relays (March 26-28) and sends the rest of the team to the USF Knights Invite (March 27-28).
