SAVOY, Ill. – The Purdue cross country team competed at the first expanded Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Friday morning at the Orange and Blue Golf Course, hosted by Illinois.
The men posted a seventh-place finish, paced by Douglas Buckeridge's fastest time by a Boilermaker in a Big Ten Cross Country Championship race, as he came across in 21st. The women came in 14th place, led by graduate student Payne Turney's finish in 52nd.
The Boilermakers will have two weeks off before heading to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Norton, Ohio, on Nov. 15.
MEN – 7th, 203 points
Buckeridge led Purdue for the first time this season, finishing in a time of 23:11.6, besting the previous Big Ten meet record set by Matt McClintock in 2015 by two seconds. Buckeridge's 21st-place finish also helped set a new personal best, as the men came in seventh.
Nathan Walker was the second Boilermaker to finish with a time of 23:20.5 in 31st place. Caleb Williams tallied 43 points with a 44th-place finish in a new personal best time of 23:36.5.
Purdue's top three finishers hold three of the fastest four times by a Boilermaker in the Big Ten Cross Country Championship.
Jason Polydoris dropped his personal best by 28 seconds as he scored 50 points in 52nd place in 23:43.1. Brady Yoder was the final Boilermaker in the points with 58 from a 64th-place finish in a time of 23:54.8, a new personal best.
Nerius White, Quinton Lowe and Matthew Helton all posted personal bests on Friday.
Wisconsin won the team title, as Badger senior Bob Liking won his fourth straight Big Ten championship with a new league-meet record.
Douglas Buckeridge – 21st, 23:11.6
Nathan Walker – 31st, 23:20.5
Caleb Williams – 43rd (44), 23:36.5
Jason Polydoris – 50th (52), 23:43.1
Brady Yoder – 58th (64), 23:54.8
Nerius White – 61st (67), 23:57.1
Kiefer Bell – 64th (74), 24:00.5
Geno Christofanelli – 110th, 24:30.6
Quinton Lowe – 119th, 24:45.1
Alex Fey – 137th, 25:14.7
Matthew Helton – 143th, 25:31.8
Jaryn Weinel – 144th, 25:35.2
WOMEN – 14th, 366 points
Continuing her trend all season, Payne Turney was the top finisher for the Boilermakers, coming across the line in 52nd for 50 points in a time of 20.19.9. Her time was a personal best and the second fastest in a 6,000-meter race for Purdue since at least 2005.
The Boilermakers finished the race 14th with 366 points.
Caroline Jordan was the second Boilermaker across the line in 60th place for 56 points and a time of 20:25.1, smashing her personal best by more than a minute. Emma Squires was 74th for 68 points, posting personal-best time of 20:39.
The top-finishing trio now have three of the top six quickest 6,000-meter times at Purdue since 2005.
Purdue's next four runners were separated by seven spots. Meredith Bloss came across the line in 125th to score 95 points in 21:18.6, and Jaelyn Burgos rounded out the scoring with 97 points (129th place) in a personal-best mark of 21:21.0.
Sarah Maggio was one spot out of the scoring in 130th by milliseconds, setting a new personal mark in 21:22.5. Paige Hazelrigg was 132nd with a time of 21:25.5, a new personal best.
Lauren Pegher, Julia Economou and Sofia Munoz all set personal bests on Friday.
Payne Turney – 50th (52), 20:19.9
Caroline Jordan – 56th (60), 20:25.1
Emma Squires – 68th (74), 20:39.0
Meredith Bloss – 95th (125), 21:18.6
Jaelyn Burgos – 97th (129), 21:21.0
Sarah Maggio – 98th (130), 21:22.5
Paige Hazelrigg – 99th (132), 21:25.5
Lauren Pegher – 146th, 21:37.0
Julia Economou – 158th, 22:02.7
Sofia Munoz – 166th, 22:19.8
Ally Wigand – 172nd, 22:31.9
Kylie Graf – 185th, 23:34.8