Revenge for track teams

Bob Shaughnessy/Staff Reporter

After last weekend's impressive showing, the Eastern track and field team will look to keep their hot streak going as they will host the Ohio Valley Conference Championship this weekend at Lantz Fieldhouse.

The Panthers are coming off dominant performances by red-shirt freshman Zye Boey and junior Chandra Golden. The two swept the OVC player of the week awards for yet another week. Boey won his fifth, and Golden won her fourth of the year.

Boey will by competing in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. He is Eastern's all-time leader in both events. Golden will be competing in the 60-meter and the 60-meter hurdles.

Golden's time of 7.60 in the 60-meter ranks her second in Eastern history.

The Panthers want the momentum from last week to continue as they look to regain their men's track championship and maybe, a women's track title as well. Last season was the first time in the last eight years the Eastern men's track team did not the indoor title.

The Panthers had their streak snatched away in one of the final events by Eastern Kentucky. The Panthers had won 10 of 11 titles entering last season including seven straight.

The men will be looking for strong performances from sophomore Joe Noonan and junior Dorrian White. The two took first and second in the pole vault event last season at the OVC Championship. Also, senior David Holm will look to repeat his first place finish in the 800-meter run.

On the women's side, the Panthers will be looking to defeat defending champions Tennessee State.

Leading the way will be junior Kandace Arnold who will be seeking a repeat performance. Arnold's toss of 48 feet, 3.50 inches in the shot put gave her a first-place finish in last year's championship.

Senior Jenna Uhe had a great leap of 19'10.25", but was unable to secure first place as Austin Peay's Leeann White passed the NCAA provisional mark with a jump of 20'01.50".

Uhe's jump placed her second in Eastern history. The two seniors will face off again this weekend. Uhe also had a first place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 41'03.75".

With both the men and women out for revenge, it will be exciting to see if the Panthers will continue this momentum and again take their place as champions of the OVC.


Bob Shaughnessy can be reached at 581-7944 or at rrshaughnessy@eiu.edu.