GVSU Big Meet
Kelly Family Sports Center
Friday, Feb. 14 | 8:30 am
Live Stats 

Indiana State Blue/White Classic
Indiana State Indoor Track & Field Facility
Saturday, Feb. 15 | 11am
Live Stats


ON-TAP: The Eastern Illinois Indoor Track and Field team looks to build momentum after a strong performance at the DePaul Blue Demon Classic just a week ago. The Panthers head into another packed weekend, as the team is set to split between the GVSU Big Meet on Friday, Feb. 14 and the Indiana State Blue/White Classic on Saturday, Feb. 15.

EIU EARLY BIRD RECAP: The Eastern Illinois track and field team competed at the DePaul Blue Demon Alumni Classic on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Gately Indoor in Chicago, where ten Panthers earned podium finishes.

Ramsey Hunt and Abby Venhaus led EIU in the long jump, with Hunt taking first place with a 7.53m jump, and Venhaus securing bronze at 5.62m. In the high jump, Carolyn Cronin earned third place (1.58m), while Abraham Johnson and Elijah Skutt both cleared 2.01m. Skutt claimed first after clearing it on his first attempt, with Johnson finishing third.

Johnson also placed third in the triple jump with a mark of 14.63m, while Enoch Appiah-Kubi set a personal best (14.01m) to take third. In addition, Taryn Tarquin also finished third after jumping 11.28m. Billy Bailey led the sprinters, earning second in the 400m dash with a time of 49.01. Joseph Stoddard (8:24.51) and Richie Jacobo (8:31.39) claimed first and second in the 3000m run.

Both the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams set season-best times. The men's team of Bailey, Josh Berry, Ayden Cothern, and Daniel Lacy finished third in 3:17.41, while the women's team of Devin Johnson, Makenna McBride, Kaitlyn Vahling, and Hallee Thomas placed fifth with a time of 4:01.51.

OVC TOP THREE: EIU continues to dominate the OVC leaderboards after the conclusion of the DePaul Blue Demon Alumni Classic. The Panthers currently have six male athletes along with one relay team who's marks sit in one of the top three places in the OVC season record list.

Matthew Gladdieux still sits in the second place spot for both shot put and weight throw after recording tosses of 16.50m (shot put) and 17.93m (weight throw) at the 2024 John Craft Invite. In addition, Alex Stout joins Gladdieux on the leaderboard, claiming the third place spot in the shot put after recording a distance of 15.88m at the John Coughlan Invite in the first meet of the indoor season.

Ramsey Hunt and Abraham Johnson control the sand pit, as they each sit top three in their respective jumping events. Hunt continues to dominate, claiming first place in the long jump after jumping an impressive 7.60m at the 2024 John Craft Invite. Meanwhile, Johnson proceeds to build his strong freshman season in Charleston, earning the second spot on the podium in triple jump after logging a distance of 14.71m at the Fighting Illini Challenge. Elijah Skutt is the third Panther jumper to claim an OVC podium, as he currently stands in second place in the high jump after recording a height of 2.05m at the 2024 John Craft Invite.

Furthermore, the men's 4x400m relay team consisting of Billy Baily Jr., Josh Berry, Ayden Cother, and Daniel Lacy set a new season-best time while in Chicago, earning the second place spot in the OVC after crossing the finish line in 3:17.41.  In addition, Zac Stout has earned 4296 points to notch the third place spot in the Heptathlon.

NEXT UP: The Panthers are back in action and staying local as they are set to travel to Normal, Ill. to compete in the ISU Redbird Tune-up on Friday, Feb. 21. The following week then marks the start of the OVC Indoor Championships, held in Indianapolis Ind. at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion on Tuesday, Feb. 25th.