EIU Women Lead OVC Championships On First Day

CHARLESTON, Ill. – With the completion of ten events on the first day of the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track Championships the Southeast Missouri men and Eastern Illinois women will enter the final day of competition in first place. Saturday’s final day events begin at 11 a.m. at Lantz Fieldhouse.

The Southeast Missouri men currently lead the OVC Championships with 49 points. Eastern Illinois is second with 45 followed by Tennessee State with 30 and Eastern Kentucky with 25.

The EIU women are in first place with 61.33 points as all eight teams have scored points on day one. Eastern Kentucky is second at 33 followed by Southeast Missouri with 28 and Tennessee State in fourth with 23. Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay are tied for fifth with 16 points. Murray State is seventh with 11.3 and Jacksonville State is eighth with 6.3

The first day of competition also saw two OVC records fall as Brandon Colbert of SEMO shattered his own record in the weight throw while the EIU women’s distance medley relay team broke the previous mark set by Murray State.

EIU picked up two first place wins in five events on the men’s side while SEMO, TSU and EKU all had one first place finish. EIU won the men’s distance medley with a time of 10:16.56 with EKU placing second and SEMO placing third. EIU’s winning team consisted of Wes Sheldon, Cody Boarman, Reid Basting and Graham Morris.

Tyler Carter of EIU won the men’s long jump with a mark of 23’8.75”. Tyler Terry of SEMO was second and Royce Dates of TSU was third.

Brandon Colbert of SEMO won the weight throw with a distance of 65’6”. Colbert’s mark shattered his own OVC meet record of 61’6.75” set last year. He was followed by EIU’s Donald Romero and SEMO’s Craig Robinson.

Arthur Combest of TSU was the winner in the high jump clearing 6’6”. Kris Gehrke of EIU was second and Kenny Hosp of SEMO third.

David Matuse of EKU won the lone competed men’s individual running event on Friday evening. He ran away from the field in the 5,000 meters at 14:48.18. Jason Lumpkin of SEMO was second and Daniel Jones of EKU third.

On the women’s side five different schools had first place finishers with EIU, TTU, SEMO, TSU and EKU all having gold medalists. Eastern Illinois won the DMR with a time of 12:06.77 followed by EKU and Jacksonville State. EIU’s relay team consisted of Paige Biehler, Emily Quinones, Megan Gingerich and Erika Ramos as they set the OVC record.

Katherine Lynn of Tennessee Tech won the high jump with a height of 5’5” as four competitors all had the same mark. April Holman of Austin Peay was second and Josha Rogers of Murray State placed third on number of jumps.

Brianna Egbuka of SEMO won the women’s weight throw with a mark of 55’6”. She was followed by Frisline Saintoiry and Michelle Pranger of EIU in second and third place.

Martinique Guice won the women’s long jump as she cleared 19’6.25”. Jazzmin Jeter of EKU was second and Jaimee Roy of EIU third.

Katherine Pagano of EKU closed out the night winning the 5,000 meter run with a time of 18.09.18. Olivia Klaus and Gabriela Duenas of EIU placed second and third.