EIU Men, Women Claim OVC Titles

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois outdoor track and field made it five straight titles as the Panther men and women won the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track Championships on a rain soaked final day of competition.

The EIU women won a closely contested championship as they scored 145.5 points.  Murray State was second with 124 followed by Southeast Missouri in third with 115 points.  SIU Edwardsville (99), Tennessee State (92), Eastern Kentucky (63), Jacksonville State (55), Austin Peay (44.5), Belmont (30), Morehead State (8) and Tennessee Tech (3) rounded out the field.

EIU's men scored 222.5 points to win the title by more than 30 points over second place Southeast Missouri at 189.5 points.  SIUE was third with 131.5 points followed by Eastern Kentucky (79), Tennessee State (68), Belmont (43.5) and Morehead State (28).

Tom Akers of EIU was named the OVC Men's Coach of the Year.  Jenny Severns of Murray State was named the OVC Women's Coach of the Year.

For Eastern's women's squad, Newton High School graduate Maura Cummins captured first place in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 9 3/4 inches.

Neoga graduate Jaimee Roy finished 11th in the long jump with a distance of 17-10 3/4 and took 15th in the triple jump at 35-1/2.