Big Day For EIU Track At Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa – With a record setting 23 athletes in participation at the Drake Relays, Eastern Illinois had three relay teams crack the career top ten including a record setting performance in the men’s 4x800 relay. 

The Panthers competition opened early in the week at the historic event as Sean Hopkins placed 14th in the decathlon. Hopkins scored 6,651 points which landed him with the sixth best total in EIU history. 

The remainder of the Panthers contingent opened competition on Friday with the men’s 4x800 relay team placing fourth with a school record mark of 7:19.89. The relay team included Jason Springer,David Holm, Wes Sheldon and Sean Wiggan. 

The women’s 4x800 relay team also turned in a solid performance placing sixth with a mark of 8:56.15. The Panthers relay team included Erika Foltys, Meghan Carney, Erin O’Grady and Megan Gingerich. 

Both the men’s and women’s 4x400 relay teams turned in solid performances as the men placed 12th with a time of 3:11.59. The women placed 18th with a mark of 3:48.87. The men’s time landed in 9th all-time on the EIU career charts as Wiggan, Darren Patterson,Preston Smith and Marcus Williams combined on the team. The women’s team included Emily Quinones, Bridget Sanchez, Caitlin Finnegan and Gingerich as their time ranks 10th all-time at EIU. 

Other relay teams in action on Friday included the men’s 4x200 which placed 9th, the women’s 4x100 placed 23rd, the women’s DMR was 14th while the men’s 4x100 relay was disqualified. 

In individual action Zye Boey advanced to Saturday’s finals of the 100m dash with a time of 10.60 which ranked fourth in the prelims.Kandace Arnold was 5th in the shot put with a throw of 48’8.25” while placing 18th in the discus with a throw of 150’. 

Tyler Carter was the fifth place finisher in the long jump clearing 23’6”.Chandra Golden placed 17th in the 100m hurdles while Dominique Hallwas 27th in the 110m hurdles.