Track In Action Friday At Indiana

Panthers competing in Billy Hayes Invite

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men’s and women’s track will send a limited number of athletes to compete in this year’s Indiana Billy Hayes Invitational to be hosted on Friday afternoon. More than 600 athletes are expected to compete in the one day event at Haugh Track and Field Complex.

The Panthers are coming off a sweep of the OVC men’s and women’s outdoor track and field titles marking the second time in three seasons that EIU has won both titles. It was the tenth outdoor OVC crown for the men and second OVC championship for the women.

Among the athletes expected to compete this Friday in Bloomington are the nine individuals who have earned NCAA Regional bids and the four relay teams. EIU will also have a small number of athletes attempting to hit the NCAA qualifying mark in their respective sports.

Shawana Smith will compete in the 100m and 200m sprints after winning both events last weekend at the OVC Championships. Smith set the school record in the 100m dash at 11.64.

Chandra Golden will compete in the 100m and 400m hurdles after sweeping both titles at the OVC meet. Golden holds the school mark in both events and also hit the NCAA regional standard in the 100m hurdles at 13.70.

Nicole Walcott will compete in the high jump after winning her first OVC event title last weekend at EKU. Walcott cleared 5’4.50” to win gold.

Kandace Arnold rounds out the top women’s individual competitors. She has already earned an NCAA Regional bid based on surpassing the qualifying standard in the shot put several times earlier this season.

Zye Boey headlines the men’s individual runners competing in the 100m and 200m sprints. He won both events en route to being named the OVC Male Athlete of the Championships. Boey passed the NCAA standard in both events this season and currently ranks in the EIU career top ten for both.

Brad Butler earned his spot in the NCAA regional by winning the 10,000m run last weekend at Eastern Kentucky.

Kris Gehrke won the 400m hurdles at the OVC championships last weekend with his time of 52.09 ranking 9th all time at EIU.

Ian Winston will compete in two field events for the Panthers after claiming first place in the triple jump and high jump. Winston passed the NCAA Regional standard for the high jump earlier this season with a career best mark of 6’10.75”.

Joe Noonan will compete in the pole vault after winning the OVC title last week. Later this month he will be making his second NCAA Regional appearance.

Eastern Illinois will also send its men’s and women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to Indiana. The men’s 4x100 team consists of Brandon Jelks, Boey, Brenton Pegues and Marcus Williams. The 4x400 team includes Pegues, Wes Sheldon, Boey and Williams. On the women’s side EIU will send Violet Nwordu, Golden, Tarra Grant and Smith as part of the 4x100 relay. The 4x400 team includes Bridget Sanchez, Nwordu, Megan Gingerich and Smith.