Feldhake sets new personal best

Senior Caitlin Finnegan earned second place in the women's 400-meter hurdles and third place in the women's 100-meter hurdles Saturday at the Lee Calhoun Classic at Western Illinois.(Jordan Boner/The Daily Eastern News)

Matt Feldhake knew what he had to do immediately coming off the track.

He should have started the race faster.

Feldhake, a sophomore on the Eastern track and field team, won the 10,000-meter run in his try at the event at Western Illinois' Lee Calhoun Invitational on Friday in Macomb.

He finished in 31 minutes, 41.51 seconds, and he pulled away from Marquette sophomore Keith Schueller in the final 2,000 meters.

Feldhake said he finished the first half of the race in 16:03, and the final half of the race he ran in about 15:38.

Feldhake said the pack went out slow and gradually a group of Eastern junior Matt Dettloff, Western Illinois junior Tyler Buckles, Schueller and himself pulled away from the rest of the runners at the race's midpoint.

Feldhake made a surge and pushed himself through the final part of the race.

"I did a lot of the pacing," he said. "I never really struggled with it."

Feldhake credited distance coach Brad Butler for guiding him.

Feldhake's time in the 10,000-meter run ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference this season.

"It's just starting to reinforce that all of the hard work is paying off," he said.

Sophomore Harrison Bueno's sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run marked his first race in that event in his college career. Freshman Danielle Dickman finished her first 10,000-meter run in 39:38.72 to finish in seventh place.

Vast improvement

Dettloff shattered his personal best in the 10,000-meter run at Western Illinois. Last year, he finished the race in 33:03.06 at the same invite. This year he finished in 32:11.55.

Romero red-shirting

The Eastern coaching staff is planning to red-shirt junior thrower Donald Romero for the outdoor season.

Romero helped the men's team capture an indoor conference championship in February. He finished fourth in the shot put and third in the 60-pound weight throw at the OVC championships.

Romero will still have a season of indoor eligibility left along with two outdoor seasons.

Around the league

Every OVC team competed this weekend.

The Eastern Kentucky women's team finished fourth at the University of the Cumberlands Invitational. The Eastern Kentucky men's team finished second at the invitational. The two teams combined to win 10 events.

Both teams also competed at the Tennessee's Sea Ray Relays. Senior Kathryn Pagano won the open 3,000-meter run in 9:59. The women's shuttle hurdle relay team won in Knoxville, Tenn. The Colonels return to action by hosting the EKU Open on Friday in Richmond, Ky.

The Austin Peay women's team sent individuals to the Tennessee's Sea Ray Relays with the Lady Govs earning three top 10 finishes. On the track junior Chiamaka Obi finished in eighth place in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.86. The Lady Govs return to action on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn.

The Jacksonville State women's team wrapped up competition with three top-10 finishes at the Ole Miss Invitational. The Gamecocks will compete at the Auburn Invitational on Saturday in Auburn, Ala.

The Morehead State men's and women's teams wrapped up competition at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational. The men's team finished 12th out of 15 teams, and the women's team did not score any points. Both teams are competing in the EKU Open on Friday.

"We carried our competitive spirit from the Centre College meet last week to this week and once again left everything we had out on the track," said Morehead State coach Tommy Barksdale in a press release. "We are getting better each week and at the right time. If we can continue to keep it up, we are setting ourselves up to be successful at conference, which is our ultimate goal."

The Murray State women's team wrapped up competition with one win at the Ole Miss Invitational. The Racers return to action by hosting the Racer Invitational on Saturday.

The Southeast Missouri track and field teams recorded 11 top-10 finishes at the Ole Miss Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The men's team recorded eight of those finishes, including the lone individual title. Both Redhawk teams return to action at the Memphis Invitational on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tennessee Tech women's team won seven events at Tennessee State's Boston-Moon Classic Saturday. The Golden Eagles return to action on Friday at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tennessee State men's team posted two wins at its own Boston-Moon Classic. The TSU men's team is competing at the Auburn Invitational on Saturday in Auburn, Ala. The Tennessee State women's team posted four wins at its own Boston-Moon Classic. The Tigerbelles are competing in the EKU Open on Friday.

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or kjmurphy@eiu.edu.