Purdue Sports Update August 8

Class of 2024 Unveiled for Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame

Purdue Athletics has announced the latest group of inductees to be enshrined in the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame, with the Class of 2024 featuring eight Boilermaker greats whose accomplishments span from the 1970s to 2018.

Three of the most decorated Boilermakers in school history will enter the Hall of Fame while competing in the ongoing Summer Olympics, with Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Men’s Track & Field, 2013-16), Devynne Charlton (Women’s Track & Field, 2013-18) and Annie Drews (Volleyball, 2012-15) showcasing their talents on the world stage.

Enekwechi, representing Nigeria internationally, totaled an outstanding 13 All-America honors and five NCAA medal finishes in throwing events for Purdue. Charlton, hurdling for her native Bahamas, earned nine All-America finishes as a Boiler, which included two NCAA runner-up performances. Drews has starred for Team USA on the volleyball court after twice receiving AVCA All-America status for the Old Gold and Black.

“This year’s class of inductees to the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame is distinguished by their outstanding accomplishments in Purdue Athletics history, with a uniquely Olympic theme,” said Executive Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Bobinski. “Three of these Boilermaker greats are currently competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics. We are immensely proud that Devynne Charlton, Annie Drews and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi are representing their home countries, as well as Purdue, in Paris this summer. Two basketball greats, Bob Ford and Katie Gearlds, showcased their talents in Mackey Arena during the 1970s and 2000s, respectively. Laura Gonzalez-Escallon and Kevin Plawecki, along with Devynne and Chukwuebuka, earned Big Ten Conference player and athlete of the year awards during their illustrious careers in West Lafayette. Tim Stratton was the first-ever Mackey Award winner following the 2000 football season, given to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. Our athletics department is honored to recognize these eight Purdue greats, and we look forward to welcoming them home to campus this fall.”

Tenth in school history for both career scoring (17.0) and rebounding (8.9), Bob Ford (1970-72) was an Academic All-American for the men’s basketball squad as a senior in 1972 to finish off a season in which he averaged 19.6 points per game.

Current women’s basketball head coach Katie Gearlds (2004-07) was an All-American on the court for the Boilermakers, also gathering four All-Big Ten Conference selections. Gearlds finished her Purdue Women’s Basketball career with the fourth-most points (1,974) in program history and trips to three Sweet Sixteens and one Elite Eight.

Women’s golf standout Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (2010-13) was twice an All-American as a Boilermaker, and was also notably the 2011-12 Big Ten Conference Women’s Golfer of the Year. She was a member of the school’s 2010 NCAA Championship-winning team under legendary former head coach Devon Brouse.

The 2012 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) etched his name across Purdue Baseball’s record book in several offensive categories, including ranking in the top 10 all-time for career batting average and doubles. Plawecki was selected 35th overall in the 2012 MLB Draft by the New York Mets.

Tim Stratton (1998-2001) was the first-ever winner of the Mackey Award, given annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end. Stratton was a pass-catching fixture of the 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Joe Tiller-led Purdue Football squads, ending his career with the then-school record for receptions (204).

This year’s Hall of Fame event will culminate with a Friday-night Ross-Ade Stadium crowd cheering for and welcoming home the group during the Purdue-Oregon football game (Oct. 18). A private induction ceremony for inductees and guests will take place earlier in the day.

Drews’ Road to the Olympic Not Smooth

Annie Drews was still absorbing the personally devastating news when she got a random call from the perfect person.

It was 2019, and in the three years since completing her volleyball career at Purdue, the 6-foot-4 Drews had earned a spot on the U.S. national team — a success few would’ve predicted when she joined the Boilermakers as an unpolished talent with a supercharged left arm. But now she was on the chopping block, told by Team USA that she may not travel to the Volleyball Nations League competition that year if she didn’t start bringing a more assertive attitude and presence.

The setback was mortifying, and Drews quickly got lost in her own mind trying to figure out what to do. Then her phone rang — an unexpected call from Purdue coach Dave Shondell, a man she first knew as her parents’ friend from college, then as her coach and later as a confidant. 

Shondell was unaware of the development until speaking to Drews, but he saw a simple solution.

“The one thing that makes you different than anyone in there is your arm,” Shondell told her. “Stop thinking about things that might pull you out of it and focus on the one thing that’ll put you in in the ring.”

Drews heeded the advice, and in the five years since, she has emerged as one of the most dominating front-line presences in international competition. She rose from the cut line early in 2019 to earn USA Volleyball’s Female Indoor Player of the Year that winter after making two FIVB tournament dream teams and leading the U.S. women’s national team to three podium finishes — one gold and two silvers — to put the team on a path to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

And now Drews, the fourth-leading scorer among all women’s teams at the Paris Olympics, is one of the main pistons powering the U.S. team’s drive for another medal entering its semifinal match Thursday against Brazil. And after Tuesday’s win over Poland, Drews pointed to Shondell’s advice from five years ago as a turning point.

“I carry that with me,” she said. “It’s so great to have a resource who’s known me for a long time and knows how my brain works.”

Shondell could tell early on that Drews’ mind would be the biggest obstacle to unleashing her potential.

Her upside was clear from the first time he saw Drews play. As she was leading Penn High School to its first two Indiana high school championships, Shondell remembers watching a player from her Mishawaka school shank a dig that sent the ball about 30 feet off the court. Nobody could reach it — except Drews, who raced from the front line and beat everyone to the ball to save the play. That athleticism told Shondell there was something special in this girl whom he’d known since her birth.

Sure, there were skills she needed to refine after getting a late start on volleyball in high school. Her ability to receive a serve and pass effectively to the setter needed improvement. Her defensive skills were raw, and even at her height her blocking abilities needed work. It’s why she came to Purdue as the 29th-ranked recruit in the country — not exactly the pedigree expected of a future Olympic star.

But the power in her left arm was unmistakable — the way she could wind up and strike a ball with ballistic force told Shondell there was a beast inside her waiting to be uncaged.

“It’s like pitchers in baseball — you can either ball really hard or you can’t,” Shondell said. “We never put a radar gun on her ball, but clearly she has some talents and arm speed that very few people have. It’s violent, almost. You can tell she’s swinging from her toenails sometimes.”

But Shondell suspected that Drews had no idea of her potential, and the coach wondered if she could develop the mentality needed to lift her to the level where her physical skills wanted to go.

She didn’t come to Purdue with an intense competitive spirit, which Shondell attributes to her late start in volleyball. Other players began developing and refining their skills in middle school. Drews didn’t seem to feel she was good enough to entertain lofty dreams.

Such mental barriers are challenging for coaches to unlock because only the players can turn the key. So Shondell and his staff kept nudging Drews along, watching as growth slowly progressed. And when she finally turned that key as a junior — suddenly rising from part-time starter as a freshman and sophomore to honorable mention All-American and member of the All-Big Ten team as a junior and finally the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America second team as a senior — Shondell knew Drews could finally see her potential.

“It was just maturity,” Shondell said. “At some point in time, she understood that this was her calling. It got to a point where she looked herself in the mirror and said, ‘I’m a badass.'”

And as that mental barrier fell and Drews’ talents began taking off from Big Ten battles to international stardom, Shondell remained a mentor, helping her spot when her mind was choking her performances and helping her work through it. “Nobody can hit the ball the way you can,” he’d remind her. “Hit it high and hard, and good things are going to happen.”

All those years of mentoring and preparation came together at the Tokyo Olympics.

U.S. teammate Jordan Thompson had been on a tear to start the Games for the world’s No. 1-ranked team, blasting China for 34 points in their second match, when she landed on a teammate’s foot after setting a block in a match against the Russian Olympic Committee and severely rolled her ankle. It was a devastating turn for the U.S., which lost the match 3-0.

But Drews stepped in and immediately became a dominant force. She led the U.S. in scoring over the final four games, posting 22 points on 19 kills against Italy and capping the tournament with 15 points as the U.S. powered past Brazil 3-0 in the gold medal match. After Drews took over for Thompson, the U.S. won 12 of its final 14 sets to win the gold medal.

The memory still can make Shondell emotional.

Watching Drews progress from a raw talent with a .50-caliber arm to seeing an Olympic gold medal draped around her neck is an image Shondell has called “one of the greatest moments of my life.” And when Drews returned to Indiana for her wedding three weeks after that golden moment, one of her stops was to the Purdue campus, where she and Shondell shared a celebratory hug.

“I could feel his pride,” Drews said. “It’s always very grounding to me when I can get back to campus and be around them, because it does feel like home and a piece of my life. That was long ago, but it kind of grounds you when you get back.”

Shondell’s only regret at the moment is not making the trip to Paris to cheer on Drews’ latest Olympic run. With Purdue anticipating one of its most talented teams in Shondell’s 22-year tenure — picked to finish fourth in the conference in the preseason poll behind national powerhouses Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Penn State — he made the choice to remain in Indiana and get the team ready for fall practices.

But each game, you can see him on Instagram, letting his fan side loose to send Drews messages of support. When the U.S. battled through a five-set match against Serbia, Shondell once again lauded Drews’ left arm as the Americans pulled out the tight contest. “When the match is on the line,” he posted, “set the lefty. Annie! Annie!”

And with Big Ten Volleyball Media Day taking place Tuesday, a time for Shondell to brag on his incoming team’s potential, he was simultaneously hoping the U.S.’s quarterfinal match against Poland would be playing on nearby TVs.

“Our university is so proud of how Annie competes with unique positivity and enthusiasm, while demonstrating how a TEAM is superior to any group of individuals,” Shondell posted.

Then, the mentor’s pride bloomed.

“Play hard and enjoy the moment,” he wrote. “You have absolutely earned it.”

2024 Cross Country Schedule Unveiled

The 2024 Purdue cross country schedule has been announced, which features four regular-season meets and three postseason competitions.

The campaign begins on August 30 in Indiana and will conclude at the NCAA Championships on November 23 in Wisconsin. Two of the Boilermakers’ four regular-season meets will be in Indiana. Purdue also travels to Illinois and Wisconsin twice and Ohio once during the seven-meet 2024 season.

“We are looking forward to a great cross country season to begin the 2024-25 year,” Purdue head coach Tony Miller said. “Our four regular-season meets will set us up well for an always-challenging postseason, and I’m excited to be able to compete close to home so many times.

The Boilermakers once again return to the Winrow Valparaiso Open to open the season on August 30 in Valparaiso, Indiana. A trip to Savoy, Illinois, is up next on September 13, as the Fighting Illini Big Ten Preview will give the Old Gold and Black an early look at this season’s Big Ten Championships course.

October begins with another trip to northern Indiana, this time in South Bend for the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on October 4. The regular season will wrap up in Madison, Wisconsin, for a preview of the national championship site at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals on October 19.

Postseason competition gets underway with the Big Ten Championships in Savoy, Illinois, on November 1. The NCAA Great Lakes Regional is on November 15 and is hosted by Akron in Norton, Ohio. Wisconsin will host the NCAA Championships on November 23 in Madison.

The 2024-25 track & field seasons will follow, from December -June. The indoor and outdoor schedules will be announced at a later date.

Women’s Hoops Wins first game on European Tour

Alaina Harper, Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear combined for 41 points and 22 rebounds as the Boilermakers beat Time Chamber (Barcelona All-Stars) 83-49

Box score takeaways from the Game 1 victory over Time Chamber (aka Barcelona All-Stars), a mix of 20-28-year-old players who participate in the Spanish League first and second divisions. 

• The starting lineup: Rashunda Jones, Jayla Smith, Sophie Swanson, Alaina Harper and Reagan Bass. We’ll see if Katie Gearlds uses the same lineup on Sunday. 

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• The Boilermakers led by five at halftime and outscored Time Chamber 48-19 in the second half. 

• The inside game was strong, led by Harper and freshman Lana McCarthy. They combined for 32 points, hitting 13 of 17 shots, and 17 rebounds. Add freshman Kendall Puryear’s production and the trio totaled 41 points on 16 of 22 field goals with 22 rebounds. The posts made their free throws, hitting 9 of 11. 

• However, Purdue made just 2 of 17 from 3-point range. Swanson and Ella Collier were a combined 0 of 10. The Boilermakers didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the fourth quarter. Destini Lombard and McKenna Layden each made a 3-pointer. 

EUROPEAN TOUR PRIMER: What to watch

• Purdue totaled 48 points in the paint. The Boilermakers shot 44.7% for the game and 50% after halftime. They made 54.2% from 2-point range. Time Chamber shot 31.1% for the game, including 6 of 30 in the second half.

• Purdue outrebounded Time Chamber 51-36. Harper, McCarthy and Puryear led the way. McCarthy had three offensive rebounds. 

• Three players played 20 or more minutes – Lombard (22), Bass (20) and Swanson (20). Everyone played at least 10 minutes. 

• Jones had a team-best six assists. 

• Smith contributed eight points on 4 of 8 shooting and no turnovers in nearly 16 minutes. 

• The Boilermakers took advantage of 24 turnovers to score 27 points. They had 17 steals, including five by Swanson. Jones and Lombard each had three steals, which could become a valuable weapon during the regular season. 

• Amiyah Reynolds played nearly 16 minutes and had one point, three assists and three turnovers. She was 0 of 2 from the field. It was her first game in 18 months. 

• The Boilermakers will spend one more day in Barcelona before traveling to Porto ahead of Sunday’s matchup against Colegio Luso Internacional de Porto (2 p.m. ET). Purdue returns to the US on August 15 and will paly a total of three games on its 10-day tour.

Story courtesy of Mike Carmin. To subscribe to Mike’s free newsletter that focuses on Purdue women’s basketball and more: Click here.

2024 Volleyball TV Schedule Revealed

The Purdue Boilermakers will appear on linear television 11 times during the 2024 volleyball regular-season, announced by the Big Ten Conference on Monday. Included are 10 Big Ten Network selections and one slated for NBC.

NBC has selected to air the Wisconsin at Purdue match on Saturday, October 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be the first time Purdue volleyball has appeared on NBC.

Fans can first catch Purdue in the Big Ten season-opener vs. Penn State on Wednesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. ET.  Meanwhile, both matches (vs. Indiana, 10/16 and vs. Wisconsin, 10/26) in Mackey Arena are among the competitions scheduled for linear television.

Last season, Purdue (23-9, 15-5 Big Ten) finished third in the league standings and No. 13 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) final poll. Despite having one of the youngest squads in program history, Coach Shondell led the team to an NCAA Regional Semifinals appearance. Eva Hudson (second team), Chloe Chicoine (third team) and Raven Colvin (honorable mention) received All-America accolades while the team brought in a program-record-tying six Big Ten postseason honors, including two unanimous selections in Hudson and Chicoine.

Purdue’s 2024 season will begin at home with the Stacey Clark Classic on Friday, August 30 vs. K-State and will face six non-conference matchups vs. 2023 NCAA tournament teams before Big Ten action begins on Wednesday, September 25 vs. Penn State at home.

Enekwechi Sixth in Olympic Shot Put Final

Purdue track & field alumnus Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished in sixth place at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the shot put on Saturday, August 3, in Paris.

At his second Olympic Games, Enekwechi’s best mark on Saturday evening was 21.42 meters, which he achieved on his second of six attempts. Enekwechi entered the Olympics ranked No. 8 in the world in the shot put and represents Nigeria.

Enekwechi was one of 12 competitors to advance to today’s final after a mark of 21.13m in Friday’s qualification round. He was ninth overall yesterday before he finished sixth on Saturday at the Stade de France.

A Boilermaker from 2013-16, Enekwechi bested his performance from Tokyo 2020, where he was 12th at his debut Olympics with a mark of 19.74m. All three of Enekwechi’s legal marks on Saturday in Paris topped his throws from Tokyo, both in distance and in overall placement.

Along with qualifying for the Olympic final on Friday, Enekwechi and fellow Purdue Olympian Devynne Charlton were announced as two of eight Boilermaker greats that will be inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame.

Enekwechi is joined in Paris by Charlton, who will race in the 100m hurdles beginning on Wednesday, August 7. Incoming Purdue senior Joel Gomez qualified for the Paralympic Games and will run in the 1,500m T13 from September 2-3.

Enekwechi hails from Laurelton, New York, and he secured his spot at the 2024 Paris Games by winning his fourth consecutive Nigerian Athletics Championships in the shot put on June 16 in Benin City, Nigeria.

In his Purdue career, Enekwechi was a 13-time All-American and five-time NCAA medalist. He is the school record-holder in the shot put (20.37m) and hammer throw (72.77m) outdoors and shot put (19.95m) and weight throw (24.39m) indoors. Enekwechi’s NCAA medals include two silvers in 2016, in the shot put outdoors and weight throw indoors. He won 12 Big Ten medals, including four golds, and was a three-time Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year.

Chicoine, Hudson Receive Big Ten Preseason Honors

The nation’s top returning offensive duo of Chloe Chicoine and Eva Hudson garnered All-Big Ten preseason honors, announced by the conference office Thursday.

Along with the 18-member preseason team, the league revealed its preseason poll, which Purdue was predicted to finish fourth. The selections were voted on by Big Ten head coaches.

A 2023 AVCA Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten honoree, Hudson was the youngest Boilermaker to earn first second or third team All-America recognition since 1986. As a sophomore last year, Hudson led the Big Ten in kills (560) and ranked second in the Big Ten in total points (605.5). Playing her best volleyball at the end of the season, Hudson totaled 213 kills over the final 11 matches of the season, with a 2.65 clip despite 563 attacks. She is the fastest Boilermaker to reach 1,000 career kills in the rally scoring era and concludes her sophomore campaign with more kills over her first two years than any player to come through the program (1,075). Hudson finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in kills and 12th in points.

Chicoine’s freshman season was the most accomplished start by a Boilermaker in program history, not only receiving the highest-ever AVCA All-America honor by a Purdue newcomer as a third team selection, but was also named AVCA Northwest Region Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Chicoine led all league freshmen and sophomores with the exception of Hudson in points (529). The outside hitter concluded her freshman season with 478 kills, 3.82 kills per set and 2.26 digs per set and joins Hudson and alum Debbie McDonald as the only freshmen in Purdue history to produce over three kills per set or 400 kills in a single season.

The Boilermakers are coming off a third-place finish in the Big Ten and No. 13 in the AVCA final polls after an NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance and a (15-5 Big Ten) record. Purdue enters the season with 107 consecutive weeks ranked in the AVCA poll, and racked up 11 wins in 2023 against teams ranked or receiving votes in the poll, including wins vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 10 Kentucky and a series sweep vs. Penn State. The Boilermakers return nearly its entire starting lineup, including AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and senior middle blocker Raven Colvin, middle blocker Lourdes Myers, defensive specialist Ali Hornung, outside hitter Kenna Wollard and setter Taylor Anderson in addition to Hudson and Chicoine.

Swimmers Win 5 Medals, Post 10 Scoring Finishes at Summer Nationals

Five top-eight medalist finishes and five more scoring finishes highlighted the week of long course racing for the Purdue Swimmers at USA Swimming’s Speedo Summer Championships.

Maxwell Blume (5th in 100m breast) and Brady Samuels (5th in 100m fly) accounted for the Boilermakers’ top showings, posting career-best times in the process. Blume finished fifth among a field of 71 on the first day of the meet. Samuels placed third among a field of 77 in the prelims before settling for fifth in the A final. Two days later, he took second among a field of 73 in the 50-meter freestyle, again medaling in the A final by placing seventh.

Incoming freshman Adele Sands enjoyed a breakout meet, posting lifetime bests in all four of her individual events while finishing among the top 17 in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 free. She was a medalist in the 800 (7th) and 1500 (8th). In the 200 free, she enjoyed a time drop of 3.14 seconds from the prelim to the final, moving up from 27th in the prelims to 17th overall by winning the C final.

In the final event of the meet, Sands anchored Boilermaker Aquatics’ 400 medley relay team to a ninth-place finish for Purdue’s sixth top-10 showing of the week. She teamed up with Hannah Hill, Masy Folcik and Keira Kask on the relay.

Individually, Kask finished top 20 in the prelims of the 100 butterfly. She qualified for the meet with a career-best time of 1:00.59 in the same event at the Speedo Sectionals in Columbus on Friday, July 19, arriving in Southern California on Monday. The C and D finals at selected USA Swimming meets are reserved for swimmers aged 18 and under.

Kate Mouser qualified for the B finals of both individual medley events. Samuels began the week with a time drop of 4.27 seconds in a 200 free time trial.

The Boilermakers are slated to open their 2024-25 NCAA schedule the first weekend of October at a meet in the state of Michigan.