AUSTIN, Texas – The Purdue track & field team will conclude the season, and the 2022-23 Purdue Athletics year, this week at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
The Boilermakers are represented by athletes in three events, sophomore Praise Aniamaka in the triple jump, the men’s 4×100 relay and the women’s 4×400 relay. Eleven athletes have made the trip to Texas’ Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium for the national championship meet, where they qualified as one of 24 entries in their events.
The championships begin on Wednesday, June 7, with Purdue’s first event, the 4×100 semifinal, at 7:32 p.m. ET / 6:32 p.m. CT. The 4×400 semifinal is set for Thursday, June 8, at 11:48 p.m. ET / 10:48 p.m. CT. On Friday, June 9, the 4×100 final is at 9:02 p.m. ET / 8:02 p.m. CT before Aniamaka competes in the triple jump final at 9:10 p.m. ET / 8:10 p.m. CT. The 4×400 final will conclude the four-day meet on Saturday, June 10, at 11:21 p.m. ET / 10:21 p.m. CT.
Fans unable to cheer on the Boilermakers in person can follow along with live results, and watch all of the action live on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Coverage on ESPN2 begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and at 9 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday. Non-running events will feature a dedicated live stream on ESPN+. Additional championships information, including tickets and the complete schedule, is available at TexasSports.com and NCAA.com. Updates from Austin can be found by following and connecting with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Direct links to follow along also are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
The NCAA Championships feature 24 entries in each event, 12 who qualified from the NCAA East Prelims and 12 from the west. Aniamaka, the 4×100 and the 4×400 all earned national championships berths in Jacksonville, Florida, from May 24-27.
PRAISE ANIAMAKA: TRIPLE JUMP
The Big Ten champion in the triple jump, Aniamaka qualified for his first NCAA Championships with a jump of 15.80 meters on May 26 in Jacksonville. It was his third-best mark of the season and came on the first of three attempts. Aniamaka was 10th overall in the east and will be seeded No. 16 on Friday night in Austin.
Aniamaka’s postseason began with a jump of 16.03m on May 14 to win his first Big Ten championship and third career medal, indoors or outdoors. The jump is No. 7 in school history as the Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, native won Purdue’s fourth consecutive Big Ten title in the outdoor triple jump.
MEN’S 4×100 RELAY
The 4×100 relay finished in 39.88 seconds on May 26 in Jacksonville to earn the second of three non-automatic-qualifying spots by 0.10 seconds. Junior Jahn Riley, fifth-year Justin Becker and freshmen Connor Czajkowski and Eric Young II ran the foursome’s second-fastest time this season and will be seeded No. 22 on Wednesday night. They finished 10th overall at the East Prelims after entering the meet as the No. 18 seed.
At the Big Ten Championships on May 14, Purdue won bronze in 39.87 seconds. Becker will race at the NCAA championships in the 4×100 for the fourth time in as many years as a Boilermaker while Czajkowski, Riley and Young II all will make their nationals debut. Last year, Becker and the Boilermakers were 21st at the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN’S 4×400 RELAY
The 4×400 relay qualified for nationals when they finished in 3:35.33 to place 11th overall on May 27 in Jacksonville. Junior K’Ja Talley, senior Saran Kouyeth, junior Cierra Williams and freshman Jaylie Lohmeyer picked up the second of three non-automatic-qualifying spots after coming to the meet seeded 17th. The relay squad is seeded No. 23 overall this week in Austin.
The Big Ten bronze medalists, Purdue’s season-best time of 3:33.41 was run on April 1 at the Texas Relays. It is the fifth-fastest time in school history and the fastest by a Boilermaker 4×400 relay since 2018. Last season, the Boilermakers were 17th at the NCAA Championships in the 4×400 thanks to a team that included Talley, Kouyeth and Williams.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
