Track Hosts Early Bird Meet On Firday

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men’s and women’s indoor track will host its traditional pre-holiday break meet this Friday with the Early Bird Invite taking place at Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse. The meet will begin at 4 p.m. and serve as a dual scoring meet for the schools in attendance.

Scheduled to compete this year are squads from Butler, DePaul, Indiana State, Western Illinois and Vincennes College. Northern Illinois will also compete sending only their women’s team.

The Panthers open the season after sweeping both the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor and Outdoor track championships last spring. Eastern Illinois men’s squad will be led by sprinter Zye Boey who earned a trip to the NCAA National Championships in the 200m. Last year Boey set the school record in both the 60m and 200m dash with both marks ranking in the top 35 in the USA including the world’s 18th fastest time in the 200m dash.

Joining Boey as a leader for the men’s squad will be senior jumper Ian Winston. Winston finished the 2009 indoor season with the 7th best mark in EIU history in the high jump as he won the OVC Championship.

On the women’s side EIU will be led by a pair of seniors. Chandra Golden has posted a pair of top three school marks in both the 60m dash and 60m hurdles. She was the OVC champion in the hurdles. Kandace Arnold has established herself as the one of the premier throwers in EIU history as she ranks in the top three in both indoor throwing events in EIU history. Last season Arnold set the EIU record in the weight throw at 59’9.75”.

Following the EIU Early Bird Meet the Panthers will take off for the school holiday break before returning to action on Jan. 23 in the EIU Mega Meet.