DES MOINES, Iowa – The Purdue track & field team will travel to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, for the final meet of the regular season from April 26-29.
The nationally-renowned meet at Drake Stadium begins for the Boilermakers with the heptathlon on Wednesday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT. The heptathlon continues on Thursday, April 27, at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT, and Purdue's first event on the track is the 1,500-meter at 5:58 p.m. ET / 4:58 p.m. CT. The last race on Thursday is the 10,000m at 10:09 p.m. ET / 9:09 p.m. CT. On Friday, April 28, the 4x1600 relay begins the day for the Boilermakers at 12:59 p.m. ET / 11:59 a.m. CT, and the team's last event is the 4x200 relay at 8:34 p.m. ET / 7:34 p.m. CT. A busy Saturday, April 29, begins for Purdue at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT with the long jump, and the team's meet concludes with the 4x400 at 5:05 p.m. ET / 4:05 p.m. CT.
Fans can follow along with live results and the meet schedule from Des Moines. USATF.TV will have a live stream from Thursday-Saturday, with a subscription required, and CBS Sports Network will air select events on Saturday. Additional meet information is at GoDrakeBulldogs.com, and direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/TrackField. Additional updates, including schedule updates should weather be an impact, can be found by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Forty-two Boilermakers, 22 men and 20 women, are traveling to compete at Drake Stadium this weekend. Along with Purdue and the host-Bulldogs, the Drake Relays field includes Big Ten foes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern.
PURDUE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Two Boilermaker relays appear in the top-25 in the fifth weekly national TFRI individual rankings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The women's 4x400, with the fifth-fastest time in school history, is No. 23, and the women's 4x100 relay is No. 24.
As a team, four events appear in the top-25 of the season's fourth #EventSquad rankings. The women's 200m is No. 17 and the men's hammer throw is 20th. The women's 100m and women's pole vault both check in at No. 21 nationally.
A LOOK BACK AT THE BLUE OVAL IN 2022
Purdue returns to the Drake Relays for the second consecutive year, after being back at Drake Stadium from April 28-30, 2022. The Boilermakers notched a pair of top-three finishes individually, and both 4x200 relay squads also posted top-three finishes. Purdue's weekend also included one top-10 mark in school history.
A complete recap from day one, day two and day three can be found at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
LAST TIME OUT: FREY AND WALKER AGAIN POST TOP-10 TIMES
Junior Alex Frey and sophomore Nathan Walker earned their second top-10 times in program history in the last two weeks as Purdue competed at the Indiana Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana, from April 21-22.
Frey, at No. 5, and Walker, at No. 10, entered the record book in the 5,000-meter event, 13 days after they debuted on the school top-10 list in the 1,500m. Wins were earned by fifth-year Johnny Vanos in the hammer throw, sophomore Paul Goins in the 110m hurdles and sophomore Rieko Wilford in the triple jump as the Boilermakers totaled 10 personal-best marks and 12 top-three finishes.
Recap all the action from day one and day two, including full results, at PurdueSports.com/TrackField.
NEXT UP: BIG TEN CHAMPIIONSHIPS
Following a weekend off, the postseason begins for the Boilermakers at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 12-14 in Bloomington, Indiana.
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.
