EIU Track Athletes Qualify For NCAA Regional

AUSTIN, Texas – Eastern Illinois track and field qualified twelve individuals and two relay teams for the NCAA West Regional to be held in Austin, Texas next weekend.  The Panther women qualified five individuals while the Panther men are sending seven individuals and the two relay squads.

Megan Gingerich, Jalisa Paramore and Britney Whitehead will represent the EIU women in running events.  Maura Cummins and Jade Riebold will be competing in field events for EIU.

Zye Boey, Dominique Hall and Graham Morris will compete in running events for the EIU men with Boey qualifying in two running events.  Bryce Hogan, Joe Noonan, Donald Romero andMick Viken will represent the EIU men in field events.

The two EIU men's relay teams will be comprised of Boey, Steven Clark, Kaleel Johnson andJacob Mitchell in the 4x100.  Joe Augustine, Cody Boarman, Stefan Gorol and Sean Wigganwill compete in the 4x100 relay for EIU.

The top 12 individuals and top 12 relay teams from the regional meet will advance to the NCAA National Championships hosted by Drake University, June 6-9.

Listed below are quick updates on each NCAA qualifier from EIU.

Gingerich will compete in the 800m run.  She enters ranked 21st in the region in the event.  Her best time this season is 2:06.82 which she ran at the Vanderbilt Invite.  Gingerich holds the EIU school record in the event with a time of 2:06.37 set last season.  This will be her third straight NCAA Regional appearance in the 800m.

Paramore is making her first NCAA Regional appearance competing in the 100m hurdles.  Paramore enters ranked 33rd in the event.  She set the school record with a time of 13.65 placing first in the Ohio Valley Conference Championships.

Whitehead will compete in her first NCAA Regional in the 3,000m steeplechase.  She is ranked 25th in the event with strong performances at the Drake Relays and OVC Championships.  She set the school record in the event with a time of 10:23.91 placing second at the Drake Relays.  She was the OVC Champion in the event.

Cummins will compete in her first NCAA Regional as the freshman is ranked 43rd in the high jump.  She cleared a season best 5'8.50 when she won the OVC Championship in the event.  Her height ranks fourth best in school history.

Riebold has smashed the EIU and OVC record book in the pole vault in her first season since transferring from the University of Georgia.  A sophomore, Riebold was the OVC Female Field Athlete of the Year as she enters the NCAA Regional ranked seventh in the event.  Her season best of 14'1.75” came at the EIU Tweener which set the school and stadium record along with qualifying her for the US Olympic Trials.  She was the OVC Champion in the event.

Boey returns to the NCAA Regional for the fourth straight year looking to lock up a third trip to the NCAA National Championships.  The senior will compete in the 100m and 200m sprints.  He is currently ranked 10th in the 100m and fourth in the 200m in the region.  His season best 100m time is 10.23 which he ran during a second place finish at the Drake Relays.  He passed his own school record in the 200m with a season best time of 20.51 at the Vanderbilt Invite.  Boey was the OVC Champion in both events and was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year. 

Hall will be making his second straight NCAA Regional appearance as he competes in the 110m hurdles.  Hall is ranked 45th in the event with a season best time of 14.28 coming last week at the Louisville Twilight.  That time ranks ninth on the EIU career list.  Hall was the OVC Champion in the 110m hurdles.

Morris will be making his first NCAA Regional appearance competing in the 3,000m steeplechase.  Morris won the Drake Relays and OVC Championship in the event.  His season best time at Drake of 8:52.76 ranks third on the EIU career list and ranks him 16th heading into the regional.

Hogan will compete in the long jump in his first NCAA Regional appearance.  Hogan's top jump of 24'11.25” came while winning the OVC Championship.  He is ranked 21st entering the NCAA Regional and that distance ranks fifth on the EIU career list.

Noonan will be making his second career NCAA Regional appearance in the pole vault after qualifying previously as a freshman.  The senior won the OVC Championship and is ranked 36th in the event.  His season best height of 17'0.75” ranks second on the EIU career list.

Romero is ranked 33rd in the hammer throw as he is making back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances.  He was the OVC Champion in the event.  His season best throw of 195'11” ranks second on the EIU career list.

Viken returns to his second straight NCAA Regional appearance competing in the pole vault.  The school record holder in the event Viken is ranked 12th in the region with a season best height of 17'8.50”.  He was the event winner at the Drake Relays and was named the OVC Male Field Athlete of the Year.

The men's 4x100 relay team enters ranked 12th in the region.  Their season best time was 39.85 which set a school record and placed second at the Drake Relays.  The men's 4x400 relay team is ranked 21st in the region.  Their season best time of 3:10.15 was posted last week at the Louisville Twilight and ranks fourth on the EIU career list.

The NCAA Regional will be hosted by the University of Texas on May 24-26 at Mike A. Myers Stadium.