Track To Compete At OVC Indoor Championships

The Eastern Illinois indoor track & field teams finished their regular season on a high note as the women finished the EIU Friday Night Special in first place overall, as the men finished in a close second place. The Panthers will travel this weekend to the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Tennessee State (Feb. 26-27)

TRIO EARNS OVC WEEKLY HONORS
Senior thrower Janie Howse, junior distance runner Ivy Handley, and senior sprinter Christian Ilunga-Matthiesenearned Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors for indoor track & field. Howse was named as the OVC Female Field Athlete of the Week, Handley was named as the OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week, and Ilunga-Matthiesen was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Week.

Howse set a new school record with her toss of 62'01" in the weight throw. Handley cruised to a first place finish in the mile run at 5:06.81. Ilunga-Matthiesen outraced the competition in the 60-meter dash for a time 6.76.

PANTHERS TOP THREE IN THE OVC
With the OVC Championships coming up this weekend, multiple EIU indoor track & field members are currently ranked in the top 3 in their respective events.

Ilunga-Matthiesen (6.76) and Johnathan Boey (6.78) are currently ranked one and two in the 60-meter dash. For the EIU women, Anita Saffa currently holds the second fastest time (7.58).

In the men's 200-meter dash, Jamal Robinson is tied for the top time (21.67) and Calvin Edwards comes in with the third fastest time (21.72).

Amy Yeoman holds the second best time in the 800-meter run (2:11.43) and the mile run (4:53.15).

Riley McInerney cruised to the second fastest time in the 3000-meter run (8:16.94), as teammate Paxon Menard ranks third best in the 5000-meter run (14:39.63).

The men's 4x400-meter relay team composed of Edwards, Michael Miller, Derek Williamson, and Ja'Marcus Townsend raced to the third best time (3:19.41). The men's distance medley relay team of Michael Brown, Edwards,Matt Goldby, and McInerney hold the second best time of (10:00.22). The women's distance medley relay team of Yeoman, Amina Jackson, Dhiaa Dean, and Kristen Rohrer currently sit in the top spot with their time of 11:53.11.

In the field events, Haleigh Knapp leaped over the bar at 5'11.25" in the women's high jump for the best mark. Eric Gordon cleared the bar at 16'05.50" in the men's pole vault for the third best mark.

Howse holds the second best toss in the shot put (46'09.00) and weight throw (62'01.00"). Teammate Bryn Buckwalter has the best toss in the shot put (48'02.00") and third best in the weight throw (55'11.75").

ABOUT THE OVC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held Feb. 26-27 at the Gentry Center on the campus of Tennesee State University. Last season the Southeast Missouri State men's team won its second consecutive (and third overall) championships while the Eastern Illinois women won its sixth title. The EIU men last won the championships in 2013, which marked their fifth consecutive title at the time (2009-2013).

Action for both days at the OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships will begin at 9 a.m. (CST).

Following the OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships, the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships are slated for March 11-12 in Birmingham, Ala.