Top Cat: Another freshman in the track team mix

Brooks earns OVC

Neil Schneider/Staff Reporter

Freshman DeMarcus Brooks competes at the Big Blue Classic. (Erin Matheny/The Daily Eastern News)

Despite freshman DeMarcus Brooks' strong performance at the Western Illinois Lee Calhoun Invitational, there still remains the perception Brooks is in the shadow of fellow red-shirt freshman Zye Boey.

Boey currently ranks fourth on the Eastern career list in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.33 seconds, while also placing fifth on the career list with another personal best time of 20.92 in the 200-meter dash.

Adding to the overshadowing perception, Brooks ranks fifth on the Eastern career list in the 100-meter dash at 10.36. He also ranks sixth on the Eastern career list in the 200-meter dash at 21.11, which he did at the EIU Big Blue Classic on April 4.

While Brooks ranks behind Boey in these events, he does not feel he is outshined by the performances of Boey.

"I'm happy with the way things are going," Brooks said. "As long as the team is winning and me and Zye keep pushing each other, that's all that matters."

Brooks won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Western Illinois Lee Calhoun Invitational in Macomb. Brooks posted winning times of 10.56 and 21.34 in the 100-meter and 200-meter, respectively. He won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Indiana State Invitational.

Brooks said more than anything he is pleased with the way he and Boey have been able to push each other to be better.

"If I don't come in first place, then I hope he comes in first place," Brooks said. "I'm happy with the situation because I know that we are both making each other better runners."

Boey agreed both runners are constantly pushing each other to improve their sprinting skills.

"If he sees me making some little mistakes, he will try and critique it and I try to do the same for him," Boey said. "Overall, he makes me want to run harder and continue to improve as a runner."

Boey said not only is Brooks strong in the individual competitions, but he also does well in the relay competitions.

"We haven't yet qualified for regionals as a relay team, but to have me and him running two and three in relays, we can really use our speed," Boey said.


Neil Schneider can be reached at 581-7944 or jnschneider@eiu.edu.