Track Hosts Big Blue Classic This Weekend
Thursday, April 2 2015 - Big Blue ClassicEIU will have more than 1,000 athletes on campus
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois will have more than 1,000 athletes on campus this weekend to compete as the Panthers host the EIU Big Blue Classic at O'Brien Field. The outdoor meet will open on Thursday and Friday morning with the Neil Moore Multi's (Heptathlon and Decathlon). On Friday afternoon the hammer will serve as the lone field event. Track events will take place under the lights at O'Brien with running events set for 6 p.m. on Friday with the 400m hurdles.
On Saturday a full day of competition begins with the men's javelin and women's discus at 10 a.m. Field events inside the stadium will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the long jump. Running events will start at 11 a.m. with the 110m hurdles.
EIU opened the outdoor season last weekend with each team placing second at the SIU Bill Cornell Classic. The Panthers posted 13 first place finishes at the meet. On the men's side Norvell Mohammed and Danny Trevor both picked up a pair of first place finishes. Mohammed won the 200m and 400m events. His time in the 200m of 21.02 ranks 9th on the EIU career list. Trevor won the 110m and 400m hurdle events.
On the women's side freshman Nyjah Lane won the women's 100m dash and was the anchor leg on the women's 4x100 relay team. In field events sophomore Bryn Buckwalter had a shot put distance of 44'11.75" which ranks 9th on the EIU career list.
The field events will include several world class athletes competing as unattached competitors including three Olympic hopefuls in the women's hammer along with the American Record Holder in the discus, Gia Lewis-Smallwood.
Heading into the weekend EIU has two individuals and one relay team ranked in the top 50 in the nation. Mohammed ranks ninth in the NCAA in the 200m and is sixth in the NCAA West Region. Joe Calio is 44th in the NCAA in the steeplechase. The men's 4x100 relay team is currently 33rd in the NCAA. The relay team at the season opening meet included Johnathan Boey, Calvin Edwards, Jamal Robinson and Christian Ilunga-Matthiesen.
Schools slated to compete include: Bradley, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana State, Lipscomb, Marquette, Milwaukee, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, Saint Louis, Western Illinois, Grand Valley State, University of Saint Francis and Rend Lake College.
On Saturday a full day of competition begins with the men's javelin and women's discus at 10 a.m. Field events inside the stadium will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the long jump. Running events will start at 11 a.m. with the 110m hurdles.
EIU opened the outdoor season last weekend with each team placing second at the SIU Bill Cornell Classic. The Panthers posted 13 first place finishes at the meet. On the men's side Norvell Mohammed and Danny Trevor both picked up a pair of first place finishes. Mohammed won the 200m and 400m events. His time in the 200m of 21.02 ranks 9th on the EIU career list. Trevor won the 110m and 400m hurdle events.
On the women's side freshman Nyjah Lane won the women's 100m dash and was the anchor leg on the women's 4x100 relay team. In field events sophomore Bryn Buckwalter had a shot put distance of 44'11.75" which ranks 9th on the EIU career list.
The field events will include several world class athletes competing as unattached competitors including three Olympic hopefuls in the women's hammer along with the American Record Holder in the discus, Gia Lewis-Smallwood.
Heading into the weekend EIU has two individuals and one relay team ranked in the top 50 in the nation. Mohammed ranks ninth in the NCAA in the 200m and is sixth in the NCAA West Region. Joe Calio is 44th in the NCAA in the steeplechase. The men's 4x100 relay team is currently 33rd in the NCAA. The relay team at the season opening meet included Johnathan Boey, Calvin Edwards, Jamal Robinson and Christian Ilunga-Matthiesen.
Schools slated to compete include: Bradley, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana State, Lipscomb, Marquette, Milwaukee, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, Saint Louis, Western Illinois, Grand Valley State, University of Saint Francis and Rend Lake College.