EIU Men Win 16th OVC Outdoor Title

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.  – Eastern Illinois men's track returned to the top of the Ohio Valley Conference as the Panthers won the 2019 Outdoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday in Cape Girardeau, Mo. 

The title was the 16th for the Panthers in program history as first-year head coach Brenton Emanuel was named the OVC Coach of the Year.  The EIU men came back from being 53.5 points out of 1st place starting the final day of competition to score 175.5 total points, winning the team title by 3.5 points over Southeast Missouri.

The EIU women placed fourth in this year's championship with Murray State the women's champion.

The Panthers posted six first place finishes on the men's side on Saturday with one first place finish on the women's side.

Dustin Hatfield won his second distance event of the weekend as he won the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:31.28.  Hatfield had won the men's 10,000 meter run on Thursday night.

Tadiwa Mhonde won a pair of individual titles and was part of the Panthers 4x100 meter relay title team.  Mhonde won the men's 100 meter dash with a time of 10.95.  He won the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.00.   He teamed with Ricky Owens, Brandan Lane and Anthony Bello winning the 4x100 relay with a time of 41.96.

Jekeel Suber won the men's 110 meter hurdle event with a time of 14.65.  Pedra Hicks won the women's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.62.

Clayton Turner posted the men's final first place finish by winning the shot put.  Turner's winning throw was 55'3" which ranks as the tenth best mark in school history.

MaKenna Wilson wrapped up her solid performance at the OVC Championships with two top three finishes in field events on Saturday.  Wilson was second in the shot put with a throw of 46'1.25" and third in the javelin with a throw of 134'7".  Wilson opened the OVC Championship on Thursday winning the hammer throw with a school record mark.

Grace Rowan rounded out the women's top three performers on Saturday placing third in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 4:37.22. 

Brandan Lane and Payton Powell both medaled in sprints adding to the Panthers top three finishes on the men's side.  Lane was second in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.02.  Powell was third in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.19.

Riley Baker and Joe Smith rounded out the EiU men's top three finishers on Saturday.  Riley Baker was second in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.38.  Smith was second in the men's triple jump with a mark of 49'1.50".