EIU Men's Team Wins The OVC Indoor Championships

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - The Eastern Illinois men's and women's indoor track & field teams had a strong showing throughout the final day of the OVC Championships. The Men finished in first place with 154 points, while the women placed fifth with 78.5 points. The Panthers took home nine fist place finishes, five by the men and four by the women.

For the men, this is their 18th OVC title since 1996. After the championships head coach Brenton Emanuel was named Men's Coach of the Year and Dustin Hatfield was named Men's Track Athlete of the Year. 

The men were led by Shandall Thomas as he won both the 60 and the 200. In the 60 he won with a time of 6.86 and in the 200 he won with a time of 21.66. With that time in the 200, he moves up to number nine on the EIU all-time list. Jekeel Suber won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 6.86 to take home the gold.

Adam Swanson placed first in the 800 with a time of 1:52.40. Swanson also placed fourth in the mile with a time of 4:18.35. Joe Smith was the next top finisher for the Panthers as he placed second in the triple jump with a leap of 49-9 3/4.

In the 400, Riley Baker took home the bronze medal with a time of 48.74 and right behind him was Rickey Johnson who placed fourth with a time of 48.95. In the 200 Tadiwa Mhonde was the next Panther to finish behind Thomas in fifth place and Payton Powell and Johnson went sixth and seventh.

In the 3000, Dustin Hatfield placed second with a time of 8:12.28 to take home the silver. With that time, he moves up to number five on the all-time list. In the 4x400 the team of Tadiwa Mhonde, Riley Baker, Damian Clay, and Ricky Johnson placed second with a time of 3:14.59.

On the women's side, Grace Rowan took home the gold in the mile with a time of 5:52.45, which puts her at number five on the all-time list. Right behind her, Lindsey Carlson took home the silver with a time of 4:55.76, that time puts her at number eight on the all-time list.

MaKenna Wilson took home the gold in the shot put with a throw of 50-4 which moves her up to number two on the all-time list. In the 200 Danielle Frank placed third with a time of 24.48. With that time, she holds the EIU record in the 200 meters for indoor.

In the 60-meter hurdles, Shanisa Stinson placed fourth with a time of 8.94. In the 3000 Grace Rowan placed fifth and Lindsey Carlson was right behind her in sixth. The team of Taylor Wright, Zakiya Johnson, Shanisa Stinson, and Danielle Frank placed third in the 4x400 to end the OVC Championships.