March 4, 2010

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A select group of the Purdue men's and women's track and field teams is set to compete at one of two Last Chance Qualifier meets for the 2010 NCAA Championships this weekend. A group of 10 individuals, mostly jumpers, will travel up to the University of Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday for the Alex Wilson Invitational, while a trio of Boilermaker throwers heads to Iowa State University for the Iowa State Qualifier on Saturday.

As of now it appears that the Boilermakers will send four individuals to the national indoor championship meet, scheduled for March 12-13 at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., including a trio competing this weekend. Senior Brianna Neumann has the Boilermakers' lone automatic qualifying mark, clearing 4.25 meters (13-11.25) in the women's pole vault to guarantee a trip to her first career NCAA Indoor Championship meet. She'll jump this weekend at Notre Dame, looking to maintain her rhythm and take sole possession of the Purdue indoor record in the event, which she tied this season at the Boilermaker Invitational. Junior Stacey Wannemacher is likely to head to the national meet on the women's side as well, owning the No. 11 mark in the country at 16.47 meters (54-00.50). She'll look to improve upon her Boilermaker indoor record this weekend as well, heading to Iowa State for competition.

On the men's side, junior Shane Crawford and freshman Geoff Davis appear likely to advance to their first career NCAA Indoor Championship meets with top-15 national marks in their respective events. Crawford broke the Purdue record in the 60-meter dash at last weekend's Big Ten Championships, clocking a time of 6.66 to share the No. 10 mark in the nation, and will not compete, counting on his time to earn a bid to NCAA's. Davis is tied for the No. 12 mark in the country in the men's high jump, clearing a career best 2.20 meters (7-02.50) at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet. He'll compete this weekend at Notre Dame, looking to go higher and really lock up his spot at the national meet.

Joining Neumann and Davis at the Alex Wilson Invitational will be seniors Nan Hammel, Adetayo Adesanya, Christina Madison, Nkeiru Ugwoaba and Eric Sparks, juniors Chris Thoman and Emily Breslin and sophomore Leah Eber. Hammel is the lone runner of the group, fresh off a career-best time of 2:08.79 in the women's 800-meter run at the Big Ten Championships. Hammel finished fourth in the event after qualifying for the finals with her first career NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and will need to run approximately 2:05.50 to advance to the national meet.

Madison and Eber have had breakthrough seasons for the Old Gold and Black in the women's long jump, posting some of the top marks in school history and matching records along the way. Eber tied the Purdue indoor record with her mark of 6.23 meters (20-05.25) at the Wisconsin Elite Invitational, while Madison tied the Lambert Fieldhouse record at the Gene Edmonds Cup with a leap of 6.19 meters (20-03.75) and improved her indoor career best to 6.21 meters (20-04.50) to win her first career Big Ten Championship. Both are within about 20 centimeters of qualifying for the national championship, needing a leap of approximately 6.40 meters (21-00.00) to ensure a trip to Fayetteville. Ugwoaba looks for a NCAA qualifying mark in the women's triple jump, owning a season-best of 12.63 meters (41-05.25), but boasting a career best and Purdue indoor record mark of 12.90 meters (42-04.00). She'll need to bounce around 13.10 meters (42-11.75) to lock up a national bid.

Adesanya will join Davis in the men's high jump, looking to duplicate the All-America honors he earned at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships. Adesanya improved his indoor career best to 2.15 meters (7-00.50) this season, but owns a top mark of 2.20 meters (7-02.50) at the 2009 national outdoor meet. Breslin attacks the high jump on the women's side, fresh off a career-best mark of 1.79 meters (5-10.50) at the Big Ten Championships. Breslin will need to bump that personal record to 1.83 meters (6-00.00) to guarantee herself a spot in the national field next weekend.

Sparks and Thoman take aim at qualification in the men's pole vault, both owning provisional marks and indoor career bests already this year. Sparks is right on the bubble, currently tied for 18th in the nation with three other athletes at 5.35 meters (17-06.50) and needing just a slight increase to join the NCAA field, while Thoman matched his career best of 5.20 meters (17-00.75) and is looking for a new personal record to qualify for nationals.

Junior Bill Hardcastle and sophomore Terri Anderson will join Wannemacher on the trip to Iowa State, set to compete in the men's and women's shot put, respectively. Hardcastle has notched new indoor personal records in his last two outings, hurling 18.00 meters (59-00.75) at the Boilermaker Invitational and improving to 18.07 meters (59-03.50) to earn the bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships. He'll need to pop that mark upwards of 18.60 meters (61-00.25) for a shot at the NCAA Championship field. Anderson smashed her indoor personal record and came close to her career best at the conference meet, tossing a provisional qualifying mark of 15.52 meters (50-11.00). She'll need to come close to Wannemacher's school record for a shot at the national field, but could get in with anything above 16.40 meters (53-09.34).

In addition to looking to improve in the shot put, Wannemacher will also look to better her personal record in the women's weight throw for the second straight week. She took the silver medal at the Big Ten Championships with a toss of 19.58 meters (64-03.00), sitting 20th in the nation in the event. An increase above the 20-meter mark (65-07.50) could give her a chance at being one of the only double indoor national qualifiers in school history.

Madison, Eber, Sparks, Thoman and Breslin will compete Friday night at Notre Dame, while Adesanya, Davis, Neumann and Hammel will follow Saturday, and all three throwers are set to compete Saturday at Iowa State. A full recap of both events will be available at PurdueSports.com upon their completion, and official NCAA fields will be released early next week.

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