Track Hits Program First, Boey Advances

Saturday, May 30 2009 - NCAA Mid East Regional Championships


Panthers wrap up regional action
 
Arnold & Arnholt
 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Eastern Illinois women's track team accomplished a program first while the men's team hit a feat not seen since 2002 as the Panthers wrapped up competition at the NCAA Mid East Regional in Louisville.
 
The women's 4x100 team finished fifth in the event finals on Saturday afternoon scoring the first points for an EIU women's track team at an NCAA Regional.  The Panther relay team of Violet Nwordu, Chandra Golden, Tarra Grant and Shawana Smith scored four points matching their school record time of 45.55.  EIU will now be put on a list of possible altersteeplewebs for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships to be held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
The EIU men's team will have a representative in Fayetteville as freshman Zye Boey placed fifth in the 100m dash with a time of 10.25.  The fifth place finish assures Boey of a spot in the prelims at the NCAA National Championships.  During the indoor season, Boey earned a spot to the Indoor National Championships in the 200m dash.  He becomes the first EIU athlete since 2002 to advance to the national meet.  Ron White was the last to do it in the javelin.  The last runner to advance was Dan Steele in 1992 competing in the 400 hurdles.
 
Boey added points for the Panthers in two events on Saturday placing eighth in the 200m dash.  He scored five total points for EIU to help the Panthers finish 27th overall.  The EIU women placed 33rd overall with their four points from the relay.
 
Both EIU 4x400 relay teams were also in action on Saturday.  The men posted the second fastest mark in school history with a time of 3:09.99 as they finished in 15th.  The relay team included Brenton Pegues, Wes Sheldon, Kris Gehrke and Marcus Williams.  The women's 4x400 relay team was 16th at 3:45.19.
 
Kandace Arnold set a personal record in the shot put as she placed second in her prelim flight and 19th overall.  Arnold cracked the 49' mark for the first time in her career with a distance of 49'0.25".
 
Tyler Arnholt had a solid showing in the discus with a 16th place effort on a throw of 168'05".
 
Two athletes Joe Noonan and Nicole Walcott both competed in field events but failed to clear a height to score.  Noonan competed in the pole vault and Walcott in the high jump.