Samara Miller Season 2020-21

Serves as SAAC President from 2020-21
 

IN THE PURDUE RECORD BOOKS

• Owns the school record in the indoor 500 in 1:10.95 (Dec. 7, 2018)
• Is No. 2 in Purdue history in the indoor 600 with a time of 1:28.55 (Feb. 24, 2018)
• Ranks No. 2 and No. 9 in program history in the indoor 4x400 with times of 3:30.40 (Feb. 24, 2018) and 3:37.68 (Feb. 28, 2020)
• Ranks No. 4 in school history in the indoor 400 with a time of 53.58 (Feb. 9, 2018)
• Ranks No. 5 in Purdue history in the outdoor 400 with a time of 53.38 (May 12, 2018)
• Holds the No. 5 and No. 6 times in the outdoor 4x400 relay with marks of 3:34.07 (May 25, 2019) and 3:34.16 (April 8, 2017)

 

2019-20

Academic All-Big Ten
Outdoor Track & Field / As a Senior

• 2020 outdoor season canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic

Indoor Track & Field / As a Redshirt Junior

• Big Ten Champion: 4x400 Relay
• All-Big Ten First Team
• Ran in seven meets and competed in the 400, 600 and 4x400
• Won a Big Ten title in the 4x400 in 3:37.68, the ninth-fastest time in team history, and added a fifth-place finish in the 400 in 54.09
• Finished fifth in the 400 in 55.16 at the Music City Challenge on Feb. 14
• Earned a season-best 600 time of 1:33.18 to finish ninth at the Rod McCravy Memorial on Jan. 24
• Placed second in the 4x400 in 3:59.13 at the Fred Wilt Open on Dec. 7

 

2018-19

Academic All-Big Ten
Outdoor Track & Field / As a Junior

• Big Ten Champion: 4x400 Relay
• All-Big Ten First Team

• Raced in seven meets and ran in the 200, 400, 4x400 and 1,600 sprint medley relay
• Earned the No. 5 4x400 relay time in Purdue history with a 3:34.07 at the NCAA Regionals on May 25
• Won a Big Ten title in the 4x400 in 3:36.63 and was seventh in the 400 in 55.49 after a 54.63 in the prelims at the Big Ten Championships on May 10
• Finished fourth in the 4x400 (3:54.23) and fifth in the 1,600 sprint medley relay (4:01.23) at the Drake Relays on April 24
• Was the runner-up in the 400 in 55.49 at the Louisville Invite on April 12
• Placed second in the 4x400 in 3:35.73 at the Florida Relays on March 28
• Recorded a personal-best 200 time of 35.44 at the UTSA Invite on March 15

Indoor Track & Field / As a Redshirt Sophomore

• Raced in seven meets and competed in the 400, 500, 600 and 4x400
• Competed in the 600 (1:33.92) and 4x400 (3:47.35) at the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 22
• Ran a season-best 54.75 400 at the Tiger Paw Invite on Feb. 8
• Won the 600 in 1:33.24 at the Fred Wilt Open on Feb. 1
• Placed fourth in the 400 in 55.52 and added a season-best 600 time of 1:32.30 at the Larry Wieczorek Invite on Jan. 18
• Earned two victories at the Gene Edmonds Open on Jan. 12, in the 600 (1:34.26) and the 4x400 (3:44.06)
• Broke the school record in the 500 with a time of 1:10.95 to win the Hoosier Open on Dec. 7

 

2017-18

Outdoor Track & Field / As a Sophomore

• 2018 Durham Brothers Leadership Award recipient
• Participated in seven meets and raced in the 400, 800, 4x400 and 1,600 sprint medley relay
• Ran the 400 in 53.91 at the NCAA Regionals on May 24
• Earned a time of 53.38 in the 400, the fifth-fastest time in Purdue history, at the Big Ten Championships on May 11
• Won the 1,600 sprint medley relay in 3:47.99 and the 4x400 in 3:38.10 and added a personal-best 800 time of 2:09.07 to finish fourth at the Drake Relays on April 25
• Won the 4x400 (3:44.45) and was second in the 800 (2:11.24) at the Louisville Invite on April 13
• Placed third in the 800 in 2:10.51 at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7
• Was the 1,600 sprint medley relay runner-up in 3:51.96 at the Florida Relays on March 29
• Won both races at the UTSA Invite, with a 2:18.68 in the 800 and a 3:39.33 in the 4x400 on March 16

Indoor Track & Field / As a Redshirt Freshman

• All-Academic Black Caucus Academic Award honoree
• Big Ten Champion: 4x400 Relay
• All-Big Ten First Team
• Big Ten Athlete of the Week
• Competed in seven meets and raced in the 400, 500, 600 and 4x400
• Won the Big Ten 4x400 title in 3:30.40, which ranks No. 2 in school history and was the second-fastest time in the country, and added the No. 2-fastest 600 time in Purdue history and fastest by a freshman with a 1:28.55 to finish fourth at the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 24
• Won the 400 in 53.58, which is No. 4 in the Purdue record books, to win the Tyson Invite and added a second-place 4x400 in 3:38.36 on Feb. 9
• Won the 600 in 1:30.37 at the Fred Wilt Invite on Jan. 26
• Placed fourth in the 600 in 1:31.77 at the Clemson Invite on Jan. 19
• Won the 600 in 1:33.28 and was second in the 4x400 in 3:43.06 at the Gene Edmonds Invite on Jan. 13
• In her collegiate debut, set the freshman program record in the 500 with a 1:12.97 and added a win in the 4x400 in 3:39.37 at the Hoosier Open on Dec. 8

 

2016-17

Outdoor Track & Field / As a Freshman

• Raced in eight meets and ran in the 400, 4x400 and 1,600 sprint medley relay
• Ran the 400 in 55.23 at the NCAA Regionals on May 25
• Earned a season-best time of 53.54 in the 400 prelims, which ranked No. 6 in school history at the time, and placed ninth in the finals in 55.64 at the Big Ten Championships on May 12
• Placed second in the 4x400 in 3:41.23 and fourth in the 1,600 sprint medley relay in 3:56.70 at the Drake Relays on April 26
• Won the 4x400 in back-to-back meets, in 3:35.81 at the Louisville Invite on April 14 and in 3:48.59 at the Rankin/Poehlein Invite on April 21
• Notched the No. 6-fastest 4x400 relay time in school history, which ranked No. 5 at the time, with a 3:34.16 at the Battle on the Bayou on April 8

Indoor Track & Field / As a Freshman

• Redshirted

 

HIGH SCHOOL

• Six-time All-America
• 2016 AAU Northern Nationals 17-19 Champion in the 400m dash
• Member of championship-winning 4x400m relay team at AAU Northern Nationals 17-19 in 2016
• Finished third in the 400m dash at the AAU National Indoor Track & Field Championships
• Helped 4x400m relay team finish third at the AAU Northern Nationals 17-19 in 2015
• Won the 400m dash at the AAU Region 13 National Qualifier 17-19 in 2015
• Helped 4x400m relay team finish third at the AAU Junior Olympics National 17-19 in 2014
• Ran a 400-meter dash time of 52.96 seconds to win the AAU Junior Olympics National Championship in 2016
• Time ranked as the No. 1 time by an Illinois prep, No. 7 time in the country and No. 3 mark all-time in the state
• Ran a 200m dash PR of 24.3 at the AAU Junior Olympics National Outdoor Championships 17-19 in 2016
• Won the Illinois Top Times Girls State Championship in the 400m dash in 2016
• Won the DVC Outdoor Varsity Conference 200, 400m and 800m championships in 2016, including setting the records in the 400m and 800m
• Won the Upstate Eight Outdoor Conference 400m dash with a record time in 2015
• USATF Hershey Indoor National Championship 400m dash champion in 2015
• Four-year letterwinner in track
• Earned All-State and All-Conference honors as a junior and senior
• DVC conference champion in the 200m and 400m dashes as a senior
• Earned high school's MVP award as a junior and senior
• Earned all-academic honors as a senior
• As a junior, won the Glenbard North High School Invitational 4x400m relay with a school record
• Finished fifth at the IHSA Outdoor Girls 2015 3A State Championships in the 400m dash
• Finished third at the 2015 Illinois Top Times Indoor State Championships in the 400m dash
• Helped team win both the Upsate Indoor and Outdoor Conference Championship twice during her prep career
• 2016 New Balance National Indoor Championships qualifier in the 200m and 400m dashes
• Holds numerous USATF, AAU, high school and conference records across the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay
• Won the 2016USATF District Championships in the 400m dash
• Won the USATF Region 7 Track & Field Championships in the 4x400m relay 17-18 division in 2015 and 2016
• Won the 200m and 400m championship at the 2015 AAU Outdoor Invitational in the 17-18 division
• Went to the same high school as Purdue teammate and record-holder Savannah Carson

 

PERSONAL

• Parents are Sharon and Renard Sr.
• Has an older brother, Renard Jr.
• Earned undergraduate degree in law and society in 2019
• Earned masters degree in human resource management in 2020
• Pursuing a graduate certificate in strategic communications management
• Enjoys Christian-faith based classes, services, groups and activities, as well as liturgical dance and plays