Track Hits Road For First Time This Year

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Eastern Illinois men’s and women’s indoor track and field team will compete in their first away meet of 2009-10 season as they travel to South Bend, Ind. to compete in the Norte Dame Meyo Invite. The two day event will begin Friday at 5 p.m. (EST) with the women’s long jump and continue Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. (EST) with the women’s 3000 meter run. 

The Panthers have hosted all three meets they have competed in so far this season with positive results. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished second to Illinois last Saturday at the Illinois Intercollegiate. 

Seniors Erin O’Grady and Kandace Arnold swept the Ohio Valley Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Week. Arnold won female track athlete of the week for sweeping both her events at the Illinois Intercollegiate last Saturday at Lantz Fieldhouse. She won the weight throw with a mark of 56’06.25” and the shot put with a throw of 48’7.25”. She has won this award two times already this season. 

O’Grady took her first honor of the season after sweeping both her events at the Illinois Intercollegiate. The senior won the mile run with a time of 5:06.35 which landed her seventh on the Panther career charts and first on the OVC best list this season. She also won the 1000 meter run with a mark of 3:00.06. 

The EIU men’s sprinters helped lead the way for the teams second place finish last weekend. The Panthers won four sprinting events including Marcus Williams in the 400m dash with a time of 48.98,  Sean Wiggan in the 600m run with a time of 1:19.67 and Wes Sheldon in the 800m run with a time of 1:55.64.  Darren Patterson finished first in the 200m dash with a time of 22.09.