Track & Field Claims John Craft Invite

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The EIU men's & women's track & field teams returned to the Lantz Fieldhouse in style as the two teams earned a combined 21 first place honors as the Panthers swept the John Craft Invite. The EIU men finished the invite in first place overall with 278 points overall and the women claimed first place overall with a team total of 211 points.

Amina Jackson set a new EIU and Lantz Fieldhouse record in the women's 400-meter hurdles with her time of 1:02.32 to win the event. Teammate Brion Portis scratched her name in the EIU record books as well, as her distance of 37'10.50" in the women's triple jump was the top mark in the invite as is ninth best in program history.Amy Yeoman set a new PR in the mile run as she crossed the finish line in first place at 5:03.34.

Dhiaa Dean won the 600-meter run (1:35.60) and Haleigh Knapp was victorious in the high jump (5'6.50"). Bryn Buckwalter and Janie Howse traded first place honors. Buckwalter won the shot put (47'1.50") and Howse placed first in the weight throw at 58'1.00" to improve her season best mark.

Darneisha Spann and Cassidy Strohl teamed up with Jackson and Dean in the women's 4x400-meter relay to claim the top time at 4:00.69.

Eric Gordon claimed a pair of first place honors in the men's 400-meter hurdles (57.49) and in the pole vault (15'05.75") for a new season PR.

Juniors Johnathan Boey (60-meter dash; 6.78), Jamal Robinson (200-meter dash; 22.61), John Piper (60-meter hurdles; 8.52), and Riley Kittridge (weight throw; 48'09.00") all finished with the top mark in the respective events.

Calvin Edwards won the 400-meter dash (50.11), while fellow senior Mark Pedziwiatr was victorious in the 800-meter run (1:58.34).

Michael Miller posted the top time in the 600-meter run at 1:26.20. Paxon Menard followed with his time in the mile (4:21.66). Davion McManis rounded out the list of individual first place honors with his new season best mark in the long jump (23'4.00").

The EIU men finished the night with much success as they were victorious in both the distance medley and the 4x400-meter relay. Joe Calio, Michael Brown, Tyler Yunk, and Pedziwiatr all ran in the distance medley for EIU as they finished at 10:42.63. The quartet of Ja'Marcus Townsend, Michael Miller, Lars Ott, and Edwards crossed the finish line in the 4x400-meter relay at 3:26.82.

In the women's division Murray State came in second place (156), Chicago State in third (38) and SIU Edwardsville in fourth (7). 

The EIU men ran away with the team title as Chicago State came in second (23) and SIU Edwardsville being the only other team scored with 14 points in third.

Both EIU teams will now prepare for next weekend's Indiana Relays which will take place on Jan. 29-30 in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Illinois Track Club, McKendree University, and Maryville University also competed in the invite but did not post team scores.