Panthers Repeat As OVC Track Champions

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois was successful in defense of its Ohio Valley Conference titles as the Panthers men's and women's track teams won their second straight OVC championships during a weather shortened championship at Tennessee Tech.

A tornado warning in the area forced the men's javelin to be cancelled and the women's triple jump to be shortened but the Panthers had already accumulated enough points to win both team championships prior to the championships being called off.  

On the women’s side EIU picked up five first place finishes on Saturday as the Panthers moved from second place to pull away for the championship scoring 212 points. Southeast Missouri was second with 155.5 points and Eastern Kentucky was third with 131 points. 

The EIU men extended their first place lead scoring 261 points with SEMO placing second with 128 points and EKU was third with 106. The Panther men won six individual titles on Saturday winning 11 titles overall. 

Chandra Golden won the women’s 100m hurdles as the defending champion winning with a time of 14.17. Golden was beaten out in the 400m hurdles by teammate Caitlin Finnegan who won the event at 1:02.46 followed by Golden at 1:02.47. 

Senior Shawana Smith picked up the championship in the 200m dash at 24.99 while placing second in the 100m at 12.04. Megan Gingerichwon the 800m dash with a time of 2:13.94 followed by teammateMeghan Carney at 2:15.83 in second. 

The women rounded out the championships winning the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:50.69 while placing second in the 4x100 relay at 47.30. Queenie Adeboyejo won the weather shortened triple jump with a distance of 39’2.25”. 

Zye Boey appeared to be back to his 2009 form as he swept the 100m and 200m dash. Boey won the 100m at 10.49 while taking the 200m at 21.60. Teammate Darren Patterson was second in the 200m at 21.80 while winning the 400m at 47.32. 

Wes Sheldon led a 1-2 EIU finish in the 800m as he won at 1:51.80 with Sean Wiggan closing in second place at 1:52.96. 

In the hurdles EIU again placed 1-2 in both events. Dominique Halland Tyler Carter placed first and second in the 110 hurdles. Hall posted a 14.83 with Carter running a 14.92. In the 400m Chad Aubinand Patrick Tortorici were first and second. Aubin crossed in 52.49 while Tortorici ran a 53.22. 

EIU closed out the running events winning both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay races. EIU won the 4x100 at 40.79 while they won the 4x400 at 3:18.01. 

In men’s field events Ian Winston placed second in the triple jump at 46’1.50” and Justin Roberts was second in the hammer at 166’7”.