Jan. 24, 2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams aim for their 13th straight Gene Edmonds Cup this Saturday as they host annual rival Indiana State University and Southeast Missouri State University.

Today marks the 13th annual running of the Gene Edmonds Cup, held in honor of the long-time meet official who continues to preside over meets in West Lafayette, including today. Edmonds served as a member of the Purdue coaching staff, heading the throws area for the Boilermakers in the 1990's and tutoring several elite Purdue throwers on the women's side including two-time All-American and five-time Big Ten Champion Toyinda Smith. Edmonds and his wife, Rose, are both Indiana State alumni, where he played varsity basketball under legendary Purdue alum John Wooden.

The competition for the cup is a team (both men and women) scored meet between the Boilermakers and the visiting Indiana State University Sycamores. Purdue has won all 12 of the previous years of the meet, giving the cup a secure home in the confines of West Lafayette, but the disparity between the two squads has grown smaller year-by-year. The Old Gold and Black won last year's competition by 34 points, but have had some narrow victories in recent years, escaping with a 17-point win in 2005, and an eight-point win in 2003. The Boilermakers look to honor Edmonds with their 13th straight cup victory on Saturday.

While the Boilermakers look to top their respective fields, a few have their sights set on more than just a victory. Rookie sprinter Shane Crawford is fresh off his NCAA provisional qualifying mark from last weekend as he clocked a 6.73-second 60-meter dash at the Big Ten/SEC Challenge. Crawford is just 0.03 seconds shy of the Purdue record and hopes to run that down on Saturday. Looking to join him on the provisional qualifying list are senior Jh'Rome Tuggle and junior captain Ben Harpenau. Tuggle narrowly missed the cut last weekend in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.70 seconds, while Harpenau looks to join teammate Jon Pullum on the national list in the 35-pound weight throw with a necessary qualifier of 19.50 meters (63-11.75).

On the women's side, senior Astin Steward is closing in on her third school record, while junior Mallory Peck and sophomores Brianna Neumann and Ashlee Lengacher set their sights on NCAA marks. Steward hurled a career-best 20.83 meters (68-04.00) in the 20-pound weight throw, which leaves her just 0.12 meters shy of the Purdue record. Peck and Neumann both look to clear the provisional height of 3.95 meters (12-11.50) in the pole vault, while Lengacher has axed more than four seconds off her career-best time in the 800-meter run over the last two weeks and only needs to shave a little more to hit the national mark.

Both the Sycamores and Southeast Missouri State boast some national talent of their own as a pair of Redhawk men have exceeded the standards in the 400-meter dash and long jump, while Indiana State sophomore Kylie Hutson cleared the national qualifier in the pole vault. Miles Smith boasts the top men's 400-meter dash time in the country, breaking the tape in 46.89 at the season-opening Arkansas State Kickoff Classic back in December, while fellow senior John Berry has the nation's fourth-best long jump mark at 7.58 meters (24-10.50). Hutson holds the No. 9 pole vault height in the country, clearing 3.97 meters (13-00.25) in a dual meet with Illinois State University last weekend.

Saturday's action is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. (EST) with the men's weight throw, women's long jump and women's pole vault. Live results will be available at purduesports.com and deltatiming.com.

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