Two Records Broken in Indoor Opener

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois men's and women's track and field opened the 2014-15 indoor season on Friday (Dec. 5) evening, as the Panthers hosted the annual Early Bird event inside the Lantz Fieldhouse.

The EIU women got off to a hot start as junior Dhiaa Dean and newcomer Nyjah Lane each shattered previous school marks in their respective first place 600-M run and 60-M dash with new best times of 1:32.94 and 7.53.  Previous school record times were 1:34.28 (2012) and 7.58 (2005), respectively.  Lane also captured first place honors in her 200-M dash with a time of 25.07.

For the men, junior Calvin Edwards crossed the finish line first in the 200-M dash (21.66), while classmate Norvel Mohammed and senior Ephraim Dorsey each won their respective 400-M dash (48.91) and 600-M run (1:20.82) events.  

In field events, junior Angelica Anyaogu led the Panther women with first place honors in the Long Jump (18-01.75) and senior Aviance King topped all male competitors in the High Jump (6-08.25).

Anyaogu also joined freshmen Darneisha Spann and Haleigh Knapp for second place honors in their respective 600-M, 60-Hurdles and High Jump, with senior Katie Ryan also nabbed second in the women's Pentathlon event.

For the guys, Edwards added a close second place finish in the 60-M dash, while sophomore Kendall Williams also earned runner-up honors in the Long Jump.

Both units will now have nearly a month and a half off to prepare for EIU's next indoor event, as the Panthers are set to travel to Champaign-Urbana for theIllinois Intercollegiate on January 17, 2015.