EIU Men, SEMO Women Win OVC Track Titles

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men's track won its fifth straight Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship on Saturday afternoon at the Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse.  Southeast Missouri won the women's indoor title ending EIU's run of four straight OVC Indoor women's titles.  The Panther women placed third.

EIU scored 199 points on the men's side to win the title by 83.5 points over second place SEMO.  SEMO scored 115.5 with Eastern Kentucky third at 104, SIU Edwardsville fourth at 82, Tennessee State fifth at 78.5 and Belmont sixth at 29.

SEMO won the women's title in a closely contested championship.  The Redhawks scored 101 points with TSU second at 95 and EIU third at 88.  Murray State was just behind in fourth place with 87 points.  SIUE placed fifth at 74, EKU sixth at 67, Jacksonville State seventh at 54, Austin Peay eighth at 41 and Belmont ninth at 17.  Tennessee Tech failed to score any points in the championship.

Eastern Illinois Tom Akers was named the OVC Coach of the Year for the men while Southeast Missouri coach Eric Crumpecker was the OVC Coach of the Year for the women.  The Championship MVP's will be named early next week.

In a day of closely contested races EIU's Jake Mitchell edged Blake Carter in the men's 60m dash with a photo finish.  Both runners posted a time of 6.86.  Kaleel Johnson of EIU was third.

In the women's 60m dash Laveeta Oliver of Jacksonville State won with a time of 7.47 which broke the OVC record that she had set in 2011.  Alexis Love of Murray State was second at 7.53.  Quanisha Sales of Tennessee State was third at 7.63

EIU swept the podium in the men's 60m hurdles with a 1-2-3 finish.  Dominique Hall andLamarr Pottinger both had times of 8.13 with a photo finish giving Hall the gold medal.  Danny Harris picked up the bronze with a time of 8.31.

Sharda Bettis of MSU won the 60m women's hurdles with a time 8.44.  Jalisa Paramore of EIU was second at 8.57 and Jatavia Wright of SIUE third at 8.62

Calvin Edwards won the men's 200m dash with a time of 21.90.  Ahmad Evans and Braxton Klavins from SIUE placed second and third.  Evans ran a 21.96 with Klavins posting a 22.43.

Shamira Barrett of JSU won the women's 200m dash in a time of 24.22.  Love of MSU was second at 24.30.  Oliver of JSU was the bronze medalist with a time of 24.58.

Edwards won his second gold medal for EIU in the men's 400m with a winning time of 48.71.  Klavins of SIUE was second at 48.87 with Josh Thomas of SIUE third at 50.48.

Jerika Lewis of SEMO won the women's 400m with a time of 56.02.  Barrett of JSU was second at 56.37 and Ashontae Jackson of TSU third at 56.61.

Sean Wiggan posted EIU's fifth gold medal in the middle distance and sprint events as he won the men's 800m with a time of 1:52.84.  Mads Taersboel of EKU was second at 1:53.44 andEphraim Dorsey of EIU third at 1:53.94.

Chantelle Gray of Austin Peay won the women's 800m with a time of 2:12.61.  Aftan Noon of SIUE placed second and Julie Mathisen of EKU was third.  Noon ran a time of 2:15.54 while Mathisen finished in 2:15.62.

Kevin Farley of SEMO won the men's shot put to open Saturday field events.  Farley had a winning throw of 56'10.75”.  Craig Robinson of SEMO was second at 56'7.50”.  Jamil Mashni of SIUE placed third at 55'2.25”.

Colleen McDonough of SIUE was the gold medalist in the women's shot put with a mark of 47'7.25”.  Tonia Pratt of MSU was second at 47'3.75” and Sarah Hall of SEMO third at 45'10.50”.

Tyler Anderson of TSU won the men's triple jump covering 47'5”.  Thayer Harrison of SIUE was the silver medalist at 46'7.50” earning that spot on number of attempts over third place finisher Royce Dates of TSU.

Ja'Lyn Burr of TSU won the women's triple jump at 40'2.25”.  Wright of SIUE was second at 39'9.25” and Kim Moye of SEMO placed third with a distance of 38'9.50”.

EIU cleared 1-2-3 in the men's pole vault with Mick Viken, Dan Chalus and Eric Gordon all clearing 16'0.75”.  Number of attempts separated the three Panther teammates for medals.

Jade Riebold broke her own OVC record and EIU school record winning the women's pole vault with a height of 14'.  Jill Schnurbusch of SEMO was second clearing 13'1.50” andAnnemarie Reid was the bronze medalist clearing 12'1.50”.

Soufiane Bouchikhi of EKU opened Saturday events on the track winning the men's mile with a time of 4:11.50.  Bryce Basting of EIU was second at 4:11.69 and Taersboel of EKU third at 4:11.88.

EKU's Ann Eason opened the Saturday events on track winning the women's mile with a time of 4:52.39.  Brittany Whitehead of EIU was second at 4:52.65 and Noon of SIUE was third at 5:00.15.

Bouchikhi came back to win the men's 3K in the afternoon events with a time of 8:18.40.  He was followed by teammate Wade Meddles with a time of 8:19.53.  Pablo Ramirez of EIU was third at 8:24.61. 

Just like Bouchikhi for the EKU men, Eason came back to win the women's 3K in the afternoon events with a time of 9:53.83.  Viivi Rantanen of EKU was second at 10:02.19 and Whitehead was third at 10:02.20.

The men's 4x400 relay closed out the day as SIUE passed EIU in the final 10 meters to win with a time of 3:18.92.  EIU was second at 3:19.17 and TSU was third at 3:22.88.

The women's closing 4x400 relay was won by Jacksonville State with a time of 3:48.20.  TSU was second at 3:48.30 as the Gamecocks passed the Tigerbelles in the final meters of the race.  Austin Peay was third with a time of 3:51.64.