Track In Second Place At OVC Championships

RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Illinois men's and women's track teams both had good starts to the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference track and field championships as both squads sit in second place following day one of the two day competition being hosted by Eastern Kentucky.

The Panthers had three first place finishers on Friday with two new athletes earning spots in the NCAA Regional to be held in Louisville, Ky. in late May. EIU also had 22 athletes advance to Saturday's finals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m runs along with the 100m and 400m hurdles.

On Friday night senior Brad Butler capped his conference career by winning the 10,000m run. Butler won the event with a time of 32:06.54 which earned him a spot in the NCAA Regional. In the women's 10,000m run freshman Brittany Arthur placed 7th.

EIU swept the men's and women's high jump competition with Nicole Walcott and Ian Winston punching tickets for Louisville. Winston had already earned a spot in the Regional earlier this season when he passed the NCAA qualifying standard.

On Friday Walcott picked up her first OVC individual championship as the senior won the high jump with a mark of 5'04.50". She won by just a quarter inch over Ebony Briskey of Jacksonville State. EIU's Megan Gingerich was the fifth place finisher.

Winston picked up his first OVC outdoor individual title with a mark of 6'08" as he battled teammate Kris Gehrke for the title. Both Panther jumpers cleared the 6'08" mark but Winston won the championship based on fewer missed attempts. Luke Craven placed fifth for EIU.

Other men's top finishers scoring points on Friday included Aaron Iaun and Eric Pedersen placing fourth and fifth in the steeplechase. Luke Craven placed third in the javelin and Ryan Bennett placed fourth in the shot put.

In the women's shot put defending champion Kandace Arnold was upset after winning the event as a freshman and last year as a sophomore. Arnold's mark of 48'1.25" was good enough for second place as Ashley Brewer of Southeast Missouri won the event with a toss of 50'7.25."

Other women's top finishers scoring points on Friday included Jenna Uhe with a pair of third place finishes in the javelin and long jump. Erin O'Grady and Caitlin Napoleoni placed third and fourth in the steeplechase.

Of note in the men's 100m qualifying on Friday afternoon, freshman Zye Boey ran a personal best of 10.25 which was one one-hundredth off the OVC Championship mark.

Southeast Missouri leads the men's competition after day one with 58 points followed by Eastern Illinois with 47 and Eastern Kentucky with 38.

The Redhawks also lead the women's championships in what looks like it will be a two school race for the title. SEMO has 67.5 points leading into Saturday followed by Eastern Illinois with 49. Jacksonville State and Murray State are third and fourth with 27 and 26 points.