LINCOLN, Neb. – Purdue Track & Field’s Alexia Smith ran the fastest 400m time in the prelims to lead the Boilermakers on a day that featured four seventh-place finishes.
Men’s Notes
• Victory Achakpoekri ran 45.34 for the fourth-fastest time in the 400m prelims and the second-best time in Purdue history. The performance came two heats after Zyan Greene ran 45.55 that ended up being the sixth-fastest time and was bumped down to third-fastest in school history after Achakpoekri’s run. Purdue is seeking its first Big Ten Champion on the men’s side in the 400m.
• Zion Jackson qualified for the ninth and final spot in the 100mH finals on Sunday after he ran 14.19 in the prelims. The race was Jackson’s first at a B1G outdoor championships after he transferred in this season from Division III Trine.
• Jax Coleman ran 46.33 to finish 19th overall and fourth among freshmen in the 400m. The time was a big personal best for Coleman after he entered the day with a 47.21.
Women’s Notes
• Smith dominated the 400m field with a 51.22 that led all runners by 0.69s. She topped her previous personal best by 0.67s and moved up one spot to No. 2 in school history. Smith looks to join Brionna Thomas (2018) as the second Boilermaker to win the 400m at a Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
• In arguably the strongest field at the B1G Championships, Britannie Johnson powered her way to seventh in the shot put with a personal best 16.62m (54-06.50). She reached the podium for the first time in her career after falling just short this indoor season finishing ninth in the weight throw.
• Amarianna Lofton cleared 1.77m (5-09.75) to finish tied for seventh in the high jump in her first season as a Boilermaker. She joined Purdue after an All-American career at Division II Central State.
• Blessing Gideon tied her personal best in the long jump (6.22m / 20-05.00) and took seventh. She entered Big Tens 13th in the conference and now looks to score again in Sunday’s triple jump.
• Angeline Amefia wrapped up her two-day, seven-event heptathlon seventh with 5,178 points. She concludes her 2026 season as a scorer at Big Tens indoors (pentathlon) and outdoors (heptathlon).
• Gia Clay grabbed the last 400m finals spot after she ran 52.55 in the same heat as Smith. She ran a personal best time and qualified for the finals after she entered the postseason 19th in the Big Ten.
• Jubilee Felder cleared a personal best 1.77m (5-09.75) and finished ninth, just shy of the podium as a true freshman. Her clearable earns her a spot at the NCAA East First Round top 30 after she entered Big Tens with a 1.72m (5-07.75) that was 72nd.
Next Up
Big Tens concludes on Sunday with the Boilers beginning competition in the women’s triple jump at 11:10 a.m. ET / 10:10 a.m. CT.
