EIU Men, Women Second At OVC Track Meets

NASHVILLE – Eastern Illinois track and field fell just short in pursuit of its sixth straight Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Men’s Track and Field Championship as the Panthers placed second on Saturday. It ends a run of five straight OVC indoor titles for the EIU men.

The Panther women were looking to return to the champions’ podium after having their streak of four straight OVC crowns snapped last season.  EIU placed second in the meet.

Southeast Missouri won the men’s title with 161 points followed by EIU with 144 points. Tennessee State was third and SIU Edwardsville was fourth.

Tennessee State won the women’s title with 144 points followed by EIU with 96 points. Austin Peay was third and defending champion Southeast Missouri was fourth.

Calvin Edwards, the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year, won a pair of events for the Panther men winning the 200m and 400m sprints. Edwards won the 200m with a time of 21.53 and the 400m with a time of 48.04.  He was the anchor leg on the EIU 4x400 relay team that placed third with a time of 3:17.81. Christian Kolb, Daniel Trevor and Neoga High School graduate Derek Williamson joined Edwards on the 4x400 relay squad.

Williamson also copmeted in the 400 and finished ninth in the preliminaries with a time of 50.80.

Dhiaa Dean won the women’s 800m race with a time of 2:12.90. Dean was a bronze medalist as part of the women’s 4x400 relay squad running the second leg.  EIU posted a third place time of 3:53.53 with Amina Jackson, Cassidy Strohl and Ashley Fouch joining Dean on the relay squad.

Sadie Lovett posted the win in the women’s pole vault as four athletes all cleared 11’11.75” and the podium positions were determined by number of attempts.  Lovett was first followed by Annemarie Reid in second. Erica Grajales of Southeast Missouri was third and Lauralyn Rosenberger was fourth after all clearing the height.

Newton graduate Maura Cummins finished seventh in the high jump at 1.65 m.

Mick Viken won the men’s pole vault with a height of 17’4.25. Peter Geraghty was third clearing 16’4.75” at the championships.

EIU posted four third place finishes in finals on Saturday afternoon. Johnathan Boey was third in the men’s 55m dash with a time of 6.40.  Daniel Trevor was third in the men’s 55m hurdles with a time of 7.63. Jalisa Paramore was third in the women’s 55m hurdles with a time of 7.86.  Ryan Ballard was the third place finisher in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:54.68.