Cross Country Preps For Panther Open

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois cross country will hold its annual Panther Open on Friday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. on the Panther Trail in Charleston. This will be the lone home cross country meet for EIU this season. The men will run an 8K beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by the women’s 5K at 6:15 p.m.

Eastern Illinois opened the season last Tuesday at the Millikin 5K With A View. Both the men and women won the event with Olivia Klaus posting the top women’s time and Jason Springer the top men’s time. This will be the second 5K event of the season for the Panther women while the men will be running at the 8K distance for the first time.

Teams scheduled to compete are Southern Illinois, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Evansville, Southeast Missouri and Millikin. Beth Whalen an unattached runner formerly at Western Illinois won the women’s event last year with a time of 18:12. The men’s event was won by Jeff Schirmer of Southern Illinois with a time of 25:14.