Men's Track Signs Four IHSA Bound Athletes

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois will have four future Panther track and field athletes displaying their talents this weekend at the IHSA Boy’s State Track & Field Meet at O’Brien Stadium as head track coach Tom Akers has announced four athletes who signed national letters of intent with EIU.

Joining the Panthers next season will be jumper/hurdler Tyler Carter, sprinter Reid Basting, distance runner Connor Kustief and middle distance runner Sean Wiggan. All four earned trips to this weekend’s IHSA State Championship through their sectional meet.

Carter will compete in four events for Tuscola High School in the IHSA Class A championships. He has earned state bids in the long jump (22’4”), triple jump (44’9”), 110 meter high hurdles (14.57) and 300 meter intermediate hurdles (40.34).

Basting will compete in the 400 meters at the IHSA State Meet for Normal West High School in the IHSA Class AA championship. He holds a best time of 22.7 in the 200 meters and 49.7 in the 400 meters. He was 3rd at the Illinois Prep Indoor Meet this year in the 400 meters.

Kustief advanced to the State Meet as a member of the 4x800 meter relay team for Dundee-Crown High School in the IHSA Class AA level. He ran a personal best of 4:23 in the 1,600 meters this year and as the No. 1 runner on the Class 3A State qualifying cross country team that placed 10th.

Wiggan is a middle distance runner who will compete in three events in the IHSA Class AA championship for Waubonsie Valley High School. He will participate in the 4x400 relay, 4x800 relay and 800 meter races. He was the Upstate Eight Conference champion in the 400 meters this year and was a Class 3A state qualifier in cross country.

Those four join Matthew Feldhake and Jordan Patterson who signed with EIU earlier this year.