3-Peat For Men's & Women's Indoor Track

Eastern Illinois men’s team won with 238 total points followed by Eastern Kentucky with 99, Southeast Missouri with 94 and Tennessee State with 53. 

Eastern Illinois women’s team clinched the title with three events remaining as they finished with 177.3 points. Eastern Kentucky was second at 139.5 followed by Southeast Missouri at 106.5. Jacksonville State moved into fourth place with 63.3 points followed by Tennessee State in fifth with 48 points. Austin Peay placed sixth with 38 while Murray State scored 28.3 and Tennessee Tech scored 23 to round out the field. 

Zye Boey of Eastern Illinois was named the Male Athlete of the Championships while Laveeta Oliver of Jacksonville State was named the Female Athlete of the Championships. EIU’s Tom Akers was named the OVC Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s programs. It was Akers 16th overall OVC Coach of the Year award for indoor track. 

During the meet four Ohio Valley Conference records were broken. On Friday evening Brandon Colbert of Southeast Missouri set the OVC weight throw mark smashing his own record with a toss of 65’6” (19.97 m). Laveeta Oliver of Jacksonville State set the 60m record time with a prelim mark of 7.51 which was four one-hundredths faster than the previous mark. Oliver won the 60m title on Saturday with a time of 7.53. The Eastern Illinois women’s distance medley relay closed out the Friday record setting with a mark of 12:06.77. The DMR included Paige Biehler, Emily Quinones, Megan Gingerich and Erika Ramos. On Saturday Eastern Illinois Mick Viken set the OVC pole vault record clearing 17’1.50” (5.22 m). 

Listed below are top 3 finishes for each OVC event (Saturday events) 

Women’s Events 

Laveeta Oliver of Jacksonville State edged Diamond Benjamin of Eastern Kentucky in a photo finish in the women’s 100m dash. Oliver set the OVC record in the event on Friday evening and on Saturday both she and Benjamin crossed at 7.53. Rachel Kahle of SEMO placed third at 7.55. 

Oliver was a repeat winner in the women’s 200m as she beat the field with a time of 24.52. Alexis Love of Murray State was second at 24.91 with Bridget Sanchez of EIU placing third at 25.17. 

Gabrielle Todd of Tennessee State picked up a win in the women’s 400m with a time of 56.42. Elizabeth Bond of JSU and Chiamaka Obi of Austin Peay were neck-and-neck for second and third with Bond crossing at 56.54 and Obi at 56.70. 

Megan Gingerich led a one, two EIU finish in the 800m with Gingerich posting a 2:12.19 time followed by Erika Ramos at 2:13.89. Lydia Kosgei of EKU was third at 2:15.86. 

Kosgei did place first in the women’s mile just ahead of Ramos. Kosgei ran a time of 5:05.37 with Ramos running a time of 5:06.43. Picoty Leitich of EKU was third at 5:08.36. 

EKU runners placed first and third in the women’s 3,000 meter run with Katherine Pagano leading the field at 10:29.74. Danielle Mason was third with a time of 10:35.05 while EIU’sGabriela Duenas was sandwiched in between the two Lady Colonels runners with a second place time of 10:33.14. 

Lutisha Bowen and DanHeisha Harding posted a one, two finish in the women’s 60m hurdles. Bowen had a winning time of 8.61 with Harding crossing at 8.66. Jill MacEachen of EIU reached the podium in third place with a time of 8.85. 

The final women’s running event was the 4x400 relay won by Jacksonville State at 3:49.19.Bridget Sanchez of EIU chased down Ashley Taylor of TSU in the final 50 meters to put the Panthers in second place at 3:51.12 and Tigerbelles in third at 3:52.41. 

Abigail Schmitz won the women’s pole vault for EIU with a height of 11’11.75”. Erica Grajeles and Nikki Buchheit of SEMO placed second and third. Both athletes were over at 11’05.75” but Grajeles was second based on number of jumps. 

EIU’s Queenie Adeboyejo was first in the triple jump while the Panthers Jaimee Roy placed third. Adeboyejo cleared 38’6” while Roy was in at 37’8”. Shemeika Brewer was second with a mark of 38’2.” 

The women’s shot put was won by Brianna Egbuka of SEMO giving her titles in both throws events. Egbuka had a mark of 44’9.75”. Alisha Donner of EIU was second at 43’8” while Courtney Gapelu of SEMO was third at 41’11.75”. 

Men’s Events 

Zye Boey of EIU opened his run at the Male Athlete of the Championships with a win in the 60m dash. He won with a time of 6.68 which was one one-hundredth off his record setting mark set in the 2009 OVC Championships. Teammates Jacob Mitchell and Tyler Carter were second and third. Mitchell ran a time of 6.86 while Carter posted a 6.91. 

Boey continued his strong performance in the 200m dash where he entered the weekend ranked fourth in the NCAA. Boey won with a time of 21.32 which was two one-hundredths shy of breaking the Lantz Fieldhouse record. Darren Patterson of EIU was second at 21.67 and DeAndre Simmons of SEMO was third at 22.53. 

Patterson did pick up a first place finish for the Panthers in the 400m dash as he won with a time of 48.69. Patrick Tortorici was second at 50.00 while Kristopher Hawkins of EKU was third at 50.05. 

Chad Aubin continued EIU’s run of first place finishes on Saturday in the 800m as the Panthers placed in spots one, two and three. Aubin won with a time of 1:54.79 followed byReid Basting at 1:55.05 and Wes Sheldon at 1:55.16. 

Soufiane Bouchikhi of EKU picked up one of his two first place finishes in the men’s mile run. He won with a time of 4:17.83. Colonels runners Evans Kiptoo and Victor Kemboi placed second third. Kiptoo crossing at 4:18.81 and Kemboi at 4:19.06. 

Bouchikhi continued his winning streak in the 3,000 meter run with a mark of 8:29.22. Teammate David Mutuse, who won the 5,000 meters on Friday night, was second at 8:32.02. Jason Lumpkin of SEMO placed third at 8:38.74. 

EIU swept the podium in the 60m hurdles with Lamarr Pottinger, Tyler Carter and Dominique Hall all earning medals. Pottinger won with a time of 8.10 followed by Carter at 8.13 and Hall at 8.18. 

The 4x400 relay wrapped up the running events as EIU won with a time of 3:19.84. Tennessee State was second at 3:22.23 and SEMO third at 3:25.20. 

Randolph Tribble led yet another medal sweep for EIU in the men’s triple jump as the football cornerback posted a winning mark of 47’3.” Tyler Carter earned his fourth medal of the championships with a second place distance of 46’5.50” while Tyler Allen was third at 46’. 

Mick Viken of EIU broke the OVC record in the pole vault as the redshirt freshman cleared 17’1.50” to win the event. That height also broke the EIU school record. EIU vaulters Scott Mammoser and Joe Noonan both tied for second at 15’11.75”. 

Craig Robinson gave SEMO first place finishers in both throws events as he won the shot put at 50’11”. Donald Romero and Justin Roberts both of EIU placed second and third. Romero had a mark of 48’0.50” while Roberts best effort was 47’5.75”.