Track Heads To OVC Outdoor Championships

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois track and field heads to the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend in Clarksville, Tenn., hosted by Austin Peay.  The heptathlon and decathlon will begin each morning at 9 a.m. with the field events beginning each dat at 11 a.m.   Running events will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
The EIU women will look to make it a sweep of the track championships this season after winning the indoor title in February.  The Panthers have won six previous OVC Outdoor Championships with the last coming in 2013.
 
EIU's men's team placed second at the OVC Indoor Championships this season.  The EIU men have won 14 OVC Outdoor Championships since joining the league in 1996-97.  The last title was in 2013.
 
Listed below are the EIU men and women that rank in the top three in the OVC this season in their respective events.  The top two finishers in each event at the conference championships earn All-OVC honors.   Following the OVC Championships, athletes that have qualified will compet at the NCAA West Regional, May 28-30 in Austin, Texas.
 
Norvel Mohammed enters the OVC Championships ranked first in both the 200m and 400m sprints.  His season best time in the 200m was 20.60.  His season best in the 400m was 46.53.
 
Ephriam Dorsey, Michael Brown and Kristen Paris rank in the top three in the men's and women's 800m run.  Dorsey is second on the men's side with a season best 1:49.43.  Brown is third with a time of 1:50.96.  Paris is third on the women's side with a time of 2:08.76.
 
Riley McInerney is ranked third in the men's 1500m run heading into the championships with a top time of 3:49.14.
 
EIU has three athletes ranked in the top three in three different hurdle events.  Senior Danny Trevor is second in the 110m hurdles and first in the 400m hurdles.  His 110m hurdle time is 14.62 while this 400m hurdle time is 52.45.  Christian Kolb is third in the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 53.17.  Amina Jackson is third in women's 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.73 which set the EIU school record earlier this season at the Indiana Billy Hayes Meet.
 
Ruth Garippo and Joe Calio are both ranked thirdin the steeplechase entering the weekend.  Garippo has a season best time of 11:08.05 for the women.  Calio has a season best time of 9:00.73 for the men.
 
All four of EIU's relay teams are ranked in the top three with the men's 4x100, women's 4x100 and men's 4x400 all ranked first.  The women's 4x400m realy team is ranked third in the OVC.
 
The Panthers hold three top spots in the pole vault with Annemarie Reid and Sadie Lovett ranked first and second in the women's pole vault.  Reid's top height this season is 12'9.50" while Lovett has cleared a season best 12'6.25".   Gordon is first in the men's pole clearing 16'1.25".  He is also first in the decathlon with a season best point total of 6,083.
 
Jackie Jones heads into the OVC meet second in the women's high jump clearing 5'6" this season.
 
In men's field events Kendall Williams and David Johansson rank in the top three.  Williams is second in the triple jump with a season best effort of 48'4.50".  Johansson is first in the javelin with a season best throw of 205'3".