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EIU Friday Night Meet
Charleston, Ill.
Friday, Feb. 17
2:00 p.m. (Field) / 3:00 p.m. (Track)
Schedule (PDF) | Heat Sheets

ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois indoor track and field ends its regular season this Friday as they host the final meet before heading to Birmingham, Ala. for the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships. This marks the third meet that EIU has hosted this season.

The meet will begin on Friday, Feb. 17 in Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse with field events starting at 2:00 p.m. and track events beginning at 3:00 p.m. The following teams will compete on Friday: Illinois State, Saint Louis, McKendree, Minearl Area College, Triton College, and Vincennes.

LAST TIME OUT: The Panthers went to two separate meets last weekend: the Grand Valley State Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. and the Indiana Hoosier Hills in Bloomington, Ind.

Sarah Carr enters the top ten for Eastern Illinois in the record books in the 3000 meters with a time of 9:53.62. Carr is now fifth all-time in that event and also ranks fifth in the OVC entering the final weekend of the regular season. She would finish second in the race in Allendale.

Clayre Shaver, this week's OVC Female Field Athlete of the Week, posted strong numbers at the GVSBM. Shaver finished in sixth place in the shot put with a toss of 12.72m (41-08.75). Her shot put throw now ranks fourth in the OVC.

Matthew Gladieux was able to enter the top ten in the weight throw on the men's side with a toss of 17.68m. He would finish in ninth place in the A Final, and also ranks sixth in the OVC.

Mackenzie Aldridge also competed at the Grand Valley State Big Meet and set her personal best this season in the 5000 meter run. She would finish in 17th out of 27 runners and posted a time of 17:30.13. This time now ranks third in the OVC.

In Bloomington, Ind., Cameron Yarborough took home a first place finish in the 60 meter dash with a finals time of 6.85. Jahleel Perrin followed close behind with a time of 6.92 and a third place finish. 

Akiya Kollore collected another first place finish in the women's 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.50. She currently leads the OVC in the 60m hurdles. Hallee Thomas also added a seventh place finish in the finals with a time of 9.10.

OVC LEADERS: Five Panthers currently lead their respective event in the Ohio Valley Conference heading into this week's meets. The following are the top marks in the OVC:

Ricky Johnson: 200 meters, 21.51
Riley Baker: 400 meters, 48.30
Adam Swanson: Mile, 4:03.56
Jaime Marcos: 3000 meters, 8:05.58
Akiya Kollore: 60m Hurdles, 8.48

NEXT UP: The Panthers will start postseason play with the OVC Indoor Championships hosted in Birmingham, Ala. The meet with start on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and continue until Thursday, Feb. 23. Results will be updated throughout the two-day meet.

HEAD COACH: Keith Roberts was hired as Director of Track & Field at Eastern Illinois in August of 2021. Roberts enters his second year at Eastern after becoming the fourth director of track & field in the school's Division I history. Last season, Roberts produced two OVC Athletes of the Year in Dustin Hatfield and Lindsey Carlson in 2021. He coached both the men's and women's team to USTFCCCA Team All-Academic Honors. The EIU program produced six NCAA West Regional qualifiers in 2021-22 in Riley Baker (400 hurdles) and Akiya Kollore (100 hurdles / 200 dash).