Purdue Sports Update August 11

BOILERMAKERS AND SYCAMORES BEGIN PRESEASON WITH DRAW

The Purdue soccer team opened its preseason exhibition slate with a 1-1 draw against Indiana State on Wednesday in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Boilermakers controlled play for much of the first 45 minutes and took a 1-0 lead late in the opening half. The visiting Sycamores then found the equalizer in the final 10 minutes of the 90-minute exhibition contest.

Wednesday’s game comes after the Boilermakers opened preseason training last week, with the team’s first official practice on Tuesday, August 1.

Purdue returns to action for its second of two preseason matches on Saturday, August 12, against Bowling Green at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be played on the Purdue Soccer Practice Field, adjacent to Folk Field.

Admission will be free for all fans to Saturday’s contest along with every regular-season home game at Folk Field in 2023.

The regular season commences on August 17 against No. 24 UCF with the annual Boiler Gold Rush season-opener at 7 p.m. ET at Folk Field. Read all about the 2023 schedule at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.

FREZZOTTI ADDS 3 TO COACHING STAFF

Purdue Softball head coach Magali Frezzotti announced the hire of three staff members. Joining the coaching staff are assistant coaches Heather Gelbard and Jordyn Rudd and director of operations Casey Bonk.

HEATHER GELBARD
As Purdue’s assistant coach, Gelbard will oversee the Boilermakers’ offensive efforts in addition to recruitment. Coming off two years at Georgia Southern where she held a similar role, Gelbard was primarily responsible for overseeing the team’s hitting, culminating in the program’s most triples since 2017, the most walks since 2019 and the most runs scored in a single conference game since 2015.

“I’m excited to welcome Coach Gelbard and her family to West Lafayette,” Frezzotti said. “She is a smart, curious, creative and knowledgeable coach with high expectations for Purdue softball. She adds both experience and expertise to our staff and will serve as our recruiting coordinator. Most importantly, she is passionate about serving this generation of student-athletes and helping them reach their potential.”

Prior to her time at Georgia Southern, Gelbard was a volunteer coach at South Carolina for two seasons (2019-2021). During her stint, she worked to develop two All-SEC and NFCA All-Southeast Region selections, an NFCA All-American and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans with a primary focus on team defense and hitting.

A former All-ACC and Academic All-American student-athlete at NC State, Gelbard began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Barry University (2007-09), where she guided her team to a DII World Series berth in 2008. She was an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic from 2010-16 before being named head coach at UMBC from 2016-18. Gelbard also served as the interim head coach at Florida International (FIU) for a season before joining the Gamecocks staff as a volunteer coach.

Gelbard graduated from NC State with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2007. Currently, she owns multiple Wolfpack records, including hits (261), games started (256), at-bats (834). She earned her master’s degree in exercise science with a concentration in sports psychology from Barry in 2009.

JORDYN RUDD
A four-time All-Big Ten and three-time All-Defensive Team honoree, Rudd played in every game of her collegiate career at Northwestern (2019-2023). Other honors include 2022 Softball America National Defensive Player of the Year, 2022 Johnny Bench Award which is presented to the best female catcher in the nation, and Rawlings Gold Glove Award. As the first catcher in Big Ten history to be named First Team All-Big Ten in her first three seasons, Rudd closed her career with a .332 batting average, 247 hits, 50 doubles and 297 total bases.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Coach Rudd to our staff,” Frezzotti said. “A Gold Glove Winner and a standout five-year starter and leader at Northwestern. Jordyn’s softball IQ, leadership skills and winning mentality will have an immediate impact on our program.”

A catalyst for success, Rudd guided her team to two consecutive NCAA Regional titles, the Big Ten tournament title (2023) and two straight Big Ten regular-season crowns during her career at Northwestern.

CASEY BONK
Bonk, director of operations, comes to Purdue from Louisville, where she held the same position for the softball program since September 2018. During her time with the Cardinals, Bonk oversaw operational needs for a two-time NCAA Regional program, managing travel and recruitment logistics and budgets while also serving as liaison to all internal and external support staff.

“Casey is a gem in the Operations world,” Frezzotti said. “Her experience with high-level softball programs, her organizational and communication skills, and her high standards will help us run an efficient, forward-thinking and tight-culture program. I’m so happy she’s a Boilermaker.”

Prior to her time with the Cardinals, Bonk spent four seasons (2014-18) as assistant director of media relations at Pittsburgh. In that capacity, Bonk served as primary contact for the softball and volleyball programs in addition to media contact for Pitt gymnastics. During her time with the Panthers, Bonk oversaw the media relations aspects of the gymnastics program’s first East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championship in 2015, the softball program’s first ACC and NCAA tournament appearances, which included trips to the ACC championship game and regional final (2016) and volleyball’s 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance.

SEASON-OPENING BOILERMAKER CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE

Purdue Women’s Golf will open the 2023-24 campaign at home, hosting the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 4-5) to highlight the team’s upcoming season.

Kicking off the second season under head coach Zack Byrd, Purdue will welcome 14 schools to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Classic. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.

The tournament is looking for volunteers for a variety of jobs during the two-day event. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Boilermaker Classic can contact assistant coach Lauren Guiao at [email protected].

After the season-opening home tournament, the Boilermakers travel to nine different states and Puerto Rico as part of their schedule. Purdue goes from West Lafayette to East Lansing for the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 17-18), hosted by Michigan State. Rounding out the month of September, the Boilermakers compete in the Schooner Collegiate in Norman, Oklahoma (Sept. 23-25). Purdue ends the fall in traditional fashion, traveling to Wilmington, North Carolina for the Landfall Tradition (Oct. 27-29). The Boilermakers have wrapped up every fall season there since 2011.

Flipping the calendar to 2024, an old mainstay is back on the schedule to begin the spring season. For the first time since 2020, the Boilermakers serve as hosts of the Puerto Rico Classic at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Feb. 4-6). A regular on the Purdue schedule from 2003-2020, the tournament makes its triumphant return following a three-year hiatus. Purdue remains south in February, teeing it up at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Florida (Feb. 18-19).

Beginning in March, which features a trio of tournaments, the Boilermakers make the trek west for The Show in Las Vegas (March 4-5). One week later, Purdue competes in the Briar’s Creek Invitational on the coast of South Carolina (March 11-12). Closing out a busy stretch, the Boilermakers return to The Bruzzy Challenge at Dornick Hills Country Club in Oklahoma (March 30-31).

In the final tune-up before the conference championship, Purdue tees off at the Lady Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio (April 15-16). After back-to-back years at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, the Big Ten Championship (April 19-21) moves to Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore.  

Rounding out the schedule, the Boilermakers plan to hear their names called for postseason play in one of six NCAA Regionals (May 6-8) with sights set on a trip to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California (May 17-22).

Purdue returns a plethora of talent for the 2023-24 campaign, bringing back five golfers that competed in at least eight tournaments a season ago. Momo Sugiyama leads the way after earning All-Big Ten accolades in her first season as a Boilermaker. Kan Bunnabodee, a 2022 First Team All-Big Ten honoree, played in all eight spring tournaments after missing the fall due to injury. Ashley Kozlowski cracked the lineup 11 times throughout 2022-23, and Jocelyn Bruch reached double digits with 10 tournament appearances. Jade Gu made an impact as a redshirt freshman, competing in eight events.

SETH ALLEN WINS DISCUS AT PAN AM U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Rising sophomore Seth Allen of the Purdue track & field won gold in the discus throw at the 2023 Pan American U20 Championships on Saturday, August 5, in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Allen posted a winning throw of 60.58 meters as he competed for Team USA at Jose A. Figueroa Freire Stadium.

A native of Austell, Georgia, Allen was the only competitor to throw at least 60.00m, which he did twice. His opening mark of 60.58m proved to be enough for the win, and he closed the competition with a 60.53m on his sixth and final throw. Allen won by more than two meters, as he bested fellow American Brendon See, who was second with a mark of 58.32m.

Saturday’s victory comes just under one month after Allen won the U20 national title in the discus at the 2023 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 8. That gold medal came with a throw of 60.32 meters.

PURDUE FOOTBALL FAN DAY SET FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 18

Boilermakers of all ages can get ready for the 2023 season with an exciting evening at the Mollenkopf Athletic Center, as Purdue Football Fan Day is set for Friday, August 18 from 6-7 p.m. Admission to the event is free.

Once inside the facility, fans can pick up autograph cards to get autographs from members of the team, including head coach Ryan Walters. The only items that can be signed are the autographed cards handed out by the Purdue marketing team.

Three photo booths give fans the opportunity to get their picture taken with select student-athletes as well as the three trophies won during the 2022 season (Big Ten West, Old Oaken Bucket, Cannon Trophy).

Fan are invited to compete in a few on-field activities, including tackling dummies, football toss, and an obstacle course. A waiver form must be completed to participate in the on-field activities. At the prize wheel, fans can spin to win Purdue prizes.

Entrance to the event is located at the facility’s garage door facing the F Lot, located on the east side of the facility. Parking will be available in R Lot and F Lot. Fans parking in R Lot will have to walk around the facility just like any other Purdue event due to construction at Ross-Ade Stadium.

RANDY COOPER PASSES AWAY

It was belatedly brought to our attention that former Purdue football standout Randy Cooper, who played for the Boilermakers from 1968-70 under coaches Jack Mollenkopf and Bob DeMoss, passed away earlier this year (Feb. 12) at age 75 in his home in Lima, Ohio.

Cooper came to West Lafayette from Lima, Ohio and started his Boilermaker career on offense leading the team in rushing in 1969 before switching to defense in his senior year of 1970.

He may be best known for his defensive performance against No. 3 Stanford in the Boilermakers’ upset in Palo Alto in 1970. Cooper was honored nationally for his role in stopping eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett and ultimately was named second-team All-Big Ten in his final season at Purdue.

He graduated in 1971 with a degree in psychology.