Men's and Women's Track: Teams win Ohio Valley Conference titles

Tuesday, May 4 2010 - OVC Championships

Tornado warning cancels event, shortens others

By: Kevin Murphy/Staff Reporter

Posted: 5/3/10

The Eastern men's and women's track and field teams started two streaks Saturday.

The women's team won consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championships for the first time in school history, and the men won consecutive titles for the first time since 2003 and 2004. The title is the men's 11th overall as both teams won in a weather-shortened meet this weekend at Tennessee Tech's Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tenn.

"I wouldn't want to go out any other way," senior Chandra Golden said. "It's a great feeling. We're setting a precedent."

A tornado warning in the area forced the men's javelin to be canceled and the women's triple jump to be shortened, but the Panthers accumulated enough points to win both team championships prior to the championships being called off.

"Mother Nature had other ideas I guess," Eastern head coach Tom Akers said.

The women's team finished with 212 points en route to its third championship (2007, 2009 and 2010). Runner-up Southeast Missouri finished with 155.5 points.

"We just wanted to go home and bring it," Golden said. "I wouldn't trade (the championship) for the world."

Senior Shawana Smith won the 200-meter dash and finished second in the 100-meter dash. Smith finished her outdoor career with five outdoor individual titles. Golden closed her career with four titles in the 100-meter hurdles with another win Saturday.

Golden said Eastern athletic director Barbara Burke was in Cookeville, so the team made sure to finish strong in the meet.

Junior Caitlin Finnegan won the 400-meter hurdles. The women's 1,600-meter relay team also won, and the women's 400-meter relay team finished second. Sophomore Queenie Adeboyejo won the weather-shortened triple jump.

Sophomore Megan Gingerich won the 800-meter dash to lead a 1-2-4-5 finish in the event. Freshman Erika Ramos finished third in the 1,500-meter run.

Senior Kandace Arnold won the shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 1.75 inches, which is an OVC record. She also won the discus with a throw of 165 feet, 7 inches, which was seven feet better than her previous school record.

On Friday, senior Erin O'Grady and sophomore Olivia Klaus finished second and third, respectively, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The men's team domisteeplewebd its way to its 11th championship (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010). They won 11 events picking up 86 points in the 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter runs. The men's team also picked up 56 points in the 110- and 400-meter hurdles.

"We were so stacked," red-shirt sophomore Zye Boey said. "Even if one of us made a mistake, there was someone ready to go. We had everybody ready to go."

Boey ran season bests to win the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Junior Darren Patterson won the 200-meter dash, and senior Wes Sheldon won the 800-meter run. Senior Jason Springer finished second in the 1,500-meter run. Freshman Dominique Hall won the 110-meter hurdles, and junior Chad Aubin won the 400-meter hurdles. Both relay teams (1,600- and 400-meter teams) won on Saturday. Freshman Justin Roberts added a second-place finish in the hammer throw and finished with three top-four finishes.

"It's a great sign of where our depth is," Akers said. "As we got down to sixth places, we've got to do it with quality. It's not like football or basketball where you can substitute people in."

On Friday, freshman Graham Morris finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Junior Tyler Arnholt won the discus with a season best and matching a personal best of a throw of 173 feet, 3 inches. Freshman Scott Mammoser won the pole vault, and senior Ian Winston won the high jump.

After the first day with the Eastern men's team leading by eight points, Boey said he knew the team was OK.

"After that, I knew we were in the right position," Boey said.

In the men's OVC race, Southeast Missouri finished second with 128 points, Eastern Kentucky finished third with 106 points, Tennessee State finished fourth with 61 points and Morehead State finished fifth with 22 points.

In the women's OVC race, Southeast Missouri finished second with 155.5 points, Eastern Kentucky finished third with 131 points, Jacksonville State finished fourth with 73.5 points, Tennessee Tech finished fifth with 22 points, Austin Peay finished sixth with 66.5 points, Tennessee State finished seventh with 42.5 points, Murray State finished eighth with 30 points and Morehead State finished ninth with one point.

Akers said the meet was delayed multiple times because of the weather, and all the teams went to the Eblen Center, TTU's basketball complex.

"Hey, everybody's in the same boat," Akers said. "Our kids did a real good job. I heard more complaints about the delays."

Because of the event ending early, individual awards voting for the championship was not completed. Awards should be determined via teleconference today, and when the awards are finalized, they will be posted at ovcsports.com.

Before the championships, Arnold was named the OVC Female Field Athlete of the Year, and Gingerich was named the OVC Female Track Athlete of the Year.

Gingerich won the 800-meter run at the OVC outdoor championships and also the 1,600-meter relay.

"In typical Gingerich fashion, she mowed them down in the (end)," Akers said.

The Panthers will send athletes to Indiana's Billy Hayes Classic on Friday in Bloomington, Ind.

"That was a good capstone for us as a team," Akers said. "Now it's getting our top kids ready for (the NCAA) Regionals."

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

Full results can be found by clicking here.

To see photos from the OVC Championship meet, click here.

To see more Eastern photos from the meet, click here.

To see videos from the OVC meet, click here.