LEXINGTON, Ky. – Purdue Track & Field men’s program capped off an impressive NCAA East First Round with four more tickets punched to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The performances included school records in the 400m and 4x400m. Purdue’s men earned six entries to nationals.
Day Three Notes
• The 4x400m relay of Victory Achakpoekri (45.67), Samuel Vessat (44.69), Jax Coleman (5.80) and Zyan Greene (44.77) ran 3:00.92 to shatter Purdue’s school record, win the second heat, and take third overall at the NCAA East First Round. A transformation under head coach Tony Miller, the 2026 squad has produced three different relay combinations in the top six all-time. The time moves Purdue up to fifth in the country.
• Vessat broke his own school record in the 400m (44.82) to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships after he finished sixth in the NCAA East. He is poised for his second all-American honor in the event in 2026 after he finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
• No stranger to the national stage, Praise Aniamaka qualified for his fifth NCAAs overall (third outdoors) after he triple jumped 16.05m (52-08.00) to finish fifth in the NCAA East.
• Chidozie Kalu added a second triple jump qualification after he finished ninth (15.89m / 52-01.75). He will participate in his second NCAAs after he qualified in 2024 at Virginia Tech.
• Elliot Ryba finished tied for 27th in the high jump after he cleared 2.11m (6-11.00). He cleared two heights in his first NCAA East First Round appearance.
• Seamus Malaski wrapped up his NCAA East 28th in the discus (53.80m / 176-06). He will represent the Boilermakers in the hammer throw and shot put at nationals after he qualified for both on Wednesday.
• Joel Gates concluded his first NCAA East First Round as a Boilermaker 31st in the discus (53.66m / 176-06). The sophomore was a qualifier in both the shot put and discus this season after he only qualified in the discus last season at Tennessee.
• Douglas Buckeridge finished his season 31st in the 3000m steeplechase (8:57.87). It marks his second consecutive season finishing in the steeplechase at the NCAA East First Round.
Next Up
Purdue’s women’s team wraps up the NCAA East First Round on Saturday with nine events on the schedule starting with discus at 1 p.m.
