Purdue Sports Update March 27

Blaze Finishes 2nd, Ramos Ends Historic Career at NCAA Championships

Wrestling closed its breakthrough season with a 13th-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships and two All-Americans on the national podium inside Wells Fargo Center.

With five NCAA qualifiers, the Boilermakers’ mark in the field of 66 universities is their highest team finish at the national tournament of head coach Tony Ersland‘s tenure (2014-present) and Purdue’s highest placement since 1992 (12th).

With a total of 34.5 team points, it’s the Boilers’ largest tally since 2003 (38).

Sophomore Joey Blaze (157 pounds) and redshirt-senior Matt Ramos (125) became Purdue’s 62nd and 63rd All-Americans, respectively, with two remarkable tournament runs.

Blaze became Purdue’s youngest national finalist in at least 75 years. Ramos tied the program record of 14 career NCAA tournament wins, held by the school’s only two-time national champion Arnold Plaza (1947-1950).

Blaze, the lowest-seeded wrestler (No. 8) to make it to the 2025 Finals, competed for the 157-pound NCAA title in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,826 on Saturday night, live on ESPN.

He faced Nebraska’s No. 3-seeded Antrell Taylor for the fourth time in the span of a month.

Same as the previous three showdowns, it was a defensive slugfest in which neither wrestler scored more than four points. Taylor landed the only takedown in the last three seconds of the first period.

Blaze then tried to battle back, chasing Taylor around the mat as the aggressor for almost the entirety of the second and third frames.

Multiple stall warnings were called on Taylor, but the Husker survived and escaped with a 4-2 win.

Blaze’s incredible second venture at the NCAA tournament closed with a runner-up finish.

He is Purdue’s first true-sophomore national finalist since Charles Moreno in 1950. Additionally, Blaze is the 10th NCAA runner-up in school history.

Blaze blitzed his way through the first four rounds, highlighted by a stunning upset over Penn State’s No. 1-seeded Tyler Kasak in the quarterfinal. Read more about his day two dominance here.

In other big news, one of the most decorated careers in recent program history came to an end with a fourth-place All-American finish for Ramos.

He lost for just the second time all season in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal to send him to the consolation ladder. But the four-time NCAA qualifier responded well with three straight wins and clawed all the way back to the bronze medal match.

He earned ranked victories over No. 22 Trever Anderson (UNI, D 8-2), No. 9 Caleb Smith (NEB, D 5-4) and No. 8 Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh, D 9-2) to earn a spot in the bout for third place, the best possible outcome for those who lose once in the double-elimination bracket.

In his final college match, Ramos scrapped in a Big Ten Championships rematch with Penn State’s No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, taking the Nittany Lion down first before getting caught and pinned in the third period.

The loss sent him to fourth place on the national podium.

Ramos is Purdue’s first two-time All-American since Ben Wissel (2005-06) and just the 12th multiple-time All-American in school history.

He came up one win short of setting Purdue’s all-time record for national tournament victories, but he is in elite company with Plaza, owner of two of Purdue’s four NCAA crowns.

Once Ramos graduates in May, the Lockport, Illinois, grappler plans to remain in West Lafayette and continue training. His next goal is to compete on the world stage at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The Boilermakers carry all kinds of momentum into the 2025-26 season with every starting wrestler aside from Ramos expected to return and compete.

Purdue Produces a Trio of All-Americans on the Tower at NCAAs

Having three of the top 15 finishers among a preliminary field of 47 gave Purdue a trio of All-Americans in platform diving on the final day of the NCAA Championships.

Daryn Wright (4th) and Sophie McAfee (7th) returned to the championship final and improved on their finishes at the national championship from a year ago. Jenna Sonnenberg (16th) was an honorable mention All-American as a consolation final qualifier, capping a week in which she posted a new career-best finish each of the three days she competed.

McAfee and Sonnenberg closed out their collegiate careers as All-Americans on Saturday.

The Boilermakers finished in 18th place in the team scoring at NCAAs for the second year in a row. Purdue’s four diving qualifiers produced a scoring finish in all three events for the first time since 2014, teaming up for 53 points. The Boilers have finished top 20 at the national championship meet in consecutive years for the first time ever.

Saturday night’s platform diving championship final was delayed for about 20 minutes between rounds 3 and 4 due to a fire alarm going off in the Weyerhaesuer King County Aquatic Center.

Boilermakers Win 2nd Straight Title, Defeating South Carolina in Playoff at Hootie Intercollegiate

After seeing a six-shot lead slip away late in the final round, the men’s golf team rallied late to force a playoff, then dominated the extra hole to win its second straight tournament at the Hootie Intercollegiate at Bulls Bay Golf Club.

A month after winning the prestigious Puerto Rico Classic, Purdue has now won back-to-back full-sized tournaments for the first time since the 1980-81 season.

In his first season, head coach Andrew Sapp has led the Boilermakers to three team titles, the most for a first-year head coach in school history. The three full-event (at least 10 teams) victories are also the most for the Boilermakers in school history.

Purdue and No. 18 South Carolina finished the 54-hole even tied at 30-under par, forcing a one-hole, five-person playoff. The two teams played the difficult, uphill par-3 14^th hole into a strong wind, where most players hit 4-iron. The Boilermaker five played the hole in 3-under par to secure their second title of the spring season.

Furman finished in third at 27-under par, while the College of Charleston (-26) and Missouri (-21) rounded out the top five.

Purdue’s 834 is tied for the seventh-lowest, 54-hole score in Purdue history. The win moves Purdue’s spring record to a gaudy 27-0-1 and all six rounds this spring have been 280 or lower.

Individually, the Boilermakers had two players in the top five, led by Jenson Forrester’s third-place finish at 11-under par 205 (68-66-71). The finish matched his career-best finish and the 205 was his lowest 54-hole score of his career.

Sam Easterbrook continued his strong spring with a fifth-place showing at 10-under par 206 (68-71-67). It marks his third top-five finish this season and he has seven top-25 finishes in eight events.

Purdue will play next in the Calusa Cup in Naples, Florida, on April 6 to 8.

Baseball Drops Series With Michigan, Beats Valpo

Michigan reeled off 10 unanswered runs while scoring in four consecutive innings, handing Purdue Baseball its first one-side defeat of the season 13-3 in the Big Ten home opener Friday at Alexander Field.

Brandon Anderson and Logan Sutter both connected for a solo home run, but the Boilermakers (18-3, 2-2 Big Ten) had just one additional hit. Anderson went deep in the first inning for the second Friday in a row. Sutter hit his team-leading seventh long ball of the season to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

However, the Wolverines (12-9, 4-3 Big Ten) had already opened up a 10-1 lead when Sutter went deep. The first five U-M batters reached base safely to begin a four-run third inning. Michigan batted around the following frame, connecting for three extra-base hits in a six-run rally. Matt Spear’s two-out, three-run homer to right-center field was the big blow. He was the seventh of eight consecutive U-M hitters to put together a productive plate appearance after the Boilers retired the leadoff man.

Lukas Cook’s go-ahead home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth and Brandon Rogers’ diving catch in center field to save a run two innings earlier were the top individual moments of the day as Purdue split a doubleheader with Michigan on Saturday at Alexander Field.

The Boilermakers (19-4, 3-3 Big Ten) scored three times in the eighth inning to win game 1, 9-6. The Wolverines’ two big innings – a five third and a four-run fifth – were the difference in the nightcap as the visitors took the rubber game 12-9 to win the series.

There were a combined 36 runs scored Saturday and 52 over the course of the three-game set.

Baseball scored in four consecutive innings over the first half of the game and racked up 11 strikeouts on the mound, defeating Valparaiso 6-3 Tuesday at Alexander Field for its 20th win of the season.

March 25 marks the earliest date on the calendar the Boilermakers (20-4) have ever reached the 20-win mark. The 2012 Big Ten championship team, which holds the program record with 45 victories, was also 20-4 after 24 games and won its 20th game on March 31 after the season opener was Feb. 18 (vs. Feb. 14 this year).

Purdue is the first Big Ten team to reach the 20-win mark this season. Tuesday, the Boilers won their eighth straight midweek game dating back to April 16, 2024.

The Boilermakers are back in action Friday when they begin a three-game Big Ten series vs. No. 24 UCLA (18-5, 7-2 Big Ten). The Bruins will be the first of four first-time visitors to Alexander Field this season. The teams have not played since a May 2012 series in Los Angeles.

Track and Field Finishes Opening Outdoor Weekend in Tampa

Outdoor Track & Field finished its opening weekend of the 2025 season at the USF Alumni Invitational with 13 top eight finishes on Saturday.

Men’s Notes
• Antoine Spencer ran a wind-aided 10.13 (+2.8) to finish second in the 100m. Connor Czajkowski took eighth in 10.35 (+2.8).
• Joel Gomez (3:45.76) paced the Boilermakers in the 1500m with his fourth-place finish. It was a personal best by over six seconds and fell just 0.15 seconds shy of tying the Purdue record. Gomez moved into the Purdue rankings at No. 3.
• Douglas Buckeridge followed closely behind in fifth (3:45.88) to move up to No. 5 in Purdue history. Caleb Williams (3:47.78) and Kiefer Bell (3:48.60) finished seventh and eighth, respectively. Both times were a personal best.
• Jasiah Rogers, Nolan Macklin, Connor Czajkowski and Jahn Riley made up the first 4x100m relay of the season and finished fifth (39.76).

Women’s Notes
• Payne Turney tied the highest finish by a Boilermaker at the USF Alumni Invitational with her runner-up placement in the 1500m (4:21.66). The time moved her up to No. 4 in Purdue history after she entered the season at No. 8.
• Blessing Ogundiran ran 11.39 (+2.6) to finish second in the 100m in her Purdue outdoor debut. Nia Wilson followed in fifth with a wind-legal 11.53. Her time enters the Purdue records at No. 7.
• Britannia Johnson (51.79m / 169-11.00) and Britannie Johnson (51.12m / 167-08.00) finished third and fourth in the discuss. Both entered the Purdue rankings at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
• Angeline Amefia won her heat and finished eighth overall in the 100mH (13.81).
• Emma Squires (4:27.99) also had a personal best in the 1500m and finished ninth. Lauren Pegher ran 4:31.28 to finish 12th in her outdoor collegiate debut.

Next Up
Purdue’s distance program returns to action March 28-29 at the Raleigh Relays.

Softball Splits With Wisconsin, Maryland

The Boilers picked up their first Big Ten win of the year, defeating Wisconsin (18-10, 2-2 Big Ten) 9-1 at Devon Park on Thursday afternoon. Purdue (16-12, 1-3 Big Ten) moves to 16-12 on the year, one win closer to the 900 program victory mark.

The Boilers combined for 12 hits, scoring two runs in the first, and 7 runs combined in the last three innings. Khloe Banks notched her 100^th career-hit, a bunt single, while Delaney Reefe hit her second home run of the year.

Purdue fell 8-3 in the second game of the series against Wisconsin (19-10, 3-2 Big Ten) on Friday night.

Khloe Banks hit her first home run of the year, a solo shot, which was the third of her career. Julia Gossett added a solo shot in the top of the sixth.

The Boilers (16-14, 1-5 Big Ten) took a  loss to the Terrapins of Maryland (14-14, 3-3 Big Ten) Saturday afternoon at Devon Park.

Purdue earned just four hits in the game, while plating one run on a sacrifice fly.

Softball (17-14, 2-5 Big Ten) shut out Maryland (14-15, 3-4 Big Ten) after falling in the first game on Saturday. The Boilers pick up their second win in Big Ten play to improve to 17-14 on the year.

Jordyn Ramos hit her third home run of the year; a two-run shot to center. Julia Gossett earned her third complete game of the year, moving to a 4-5 mark.

After four games at the home of USA Softball against Big Ten opponents Wisconsin & Maryland, the Boilermakers head north to Lincoln, Neb. to face the No. 19 ranked Cornhuskers.

Men’s Tennis Drops Pair

No. 47 men’s tennis (9-5, 1-4 Big Ten) nearly toppled its third ranked opponent of the season in No. 22 Michigan (10-7, 4-1 Big Ten),  as the battle came down to the final court. Ultimately, the Boilermakers fell 3-4 to the Wolverines, marking just the second home loss of the season (9-2).

The tense battle saw No. 22 Michigan have an answer for each point No. 47 Purdue scored, before taking the 3-2 edge. The Boilermakers earned the doubles point, followed by victories by Henrik Villanger and Nour Fathalla. A total of five sets across singles play were decided by a 7-5 or in tiebreak fashion with the last two courts to finish, including the match-clincher, went the distance to decide a victor.

Up next, Purdue travels to Nebraska and Wisconsin next weekend in another Friday/Sunday matchup. First, Purdue will take on Nebraska on Friday at 5 p.m. ET followed by a trip to Wisconsin for a 3:30 p.m. Sunday start.

Miller Named Great Lakes Region Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year

Cameron Miller was named the 2024-25 Great Lakes Region Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Thursday.

Miller is coming off a historic season that ended with a third-place finish in the 200m at the NCAA Indoor Championships. It was his highest finish at a nationals meet and earned Miller his fifth-career First Team All-American honor.

Already the program record holder in the 200m heading into the season, Miller shattered his own record with a 20.27 in the Big Ten Indoor Championships prelims. He followed the performance with a 20.31 in the finals to earn the Big Ten victory.

The decorated graduate student will head into the outdoor season seventh in the world in the 200m (20.27).

Hill Joins Staff

Volleyball coach Dave Shondell announced the hiring of Emily Hill as assistant coach.

“Our program is pleased to announce Emily as our newest addition to our coaching staff,” Shondell said. “After considerable conversation, thought, and deliberation, it became very clear that the former Texas Tech star and recent Red Raider coach was the ideal fit for what our team needed most.”

Hill joins Purdue from Texas Tech, where she has been with the program for the last two seasons, serving as the Red Raiders’ technical coordinator, training attackers and blockers. She also oversaw team scouting and game planning and was responsible for running the team’s offense.

While with Texas Tech, Hill helped improve the team’s hitting efficiency, kill percentage and sideout percentage. Her work with attackers led to an All-Big 12 honoree and two Red Raiders earning pro contracts last fall, in addition to a middle leading all Power five freshman in blocks per set in 2023.

Prior to Texas Tech, she served as assistant coach at University of Texas at Arlington, where she trained all positions, focusing mainly on first touch and defense. She also aided the team in recruiting efforts, team travel, summer camps and scheduling. Before heading to UTA, Hill was the graduate assistant at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2020 to 2022.

Hill played for three years at Texas Tech (2017-19), finishing her career fourth all-time in career kills and fifth all-time in single-season kills for the program. The 2019 AVCA Southwest All-Region Team and All-Big 12 First Team honoree was a six-rotation outside and two-year captain for the Red Raiders. Hill began her career at Mississippi State (2016) where she finished the season second among all freshmen with 382 kills and averaged 3.29 kills per set in SEC action.

After graduating, Hilll played professionally in Halmstad, Sweden with the Hylte/Halmstad VBK in 2020, where she started every match and led the team to a six-match winning streak to end the season.

Hill holds a Master of Science in Sport Management from SMU and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management with a minor in Legal Studies from Texas Tech.

The Boilermakers begin their five-match spring slate this Wednesday, which Hill will be coaching. Purdue’s first match is slated vs. Butler at 7:30 p.m. ET at Holloway Gymnasium. Admission for all home volleyball spring matches are free. For the full spring schedule, click HERE.