Eastern Illinois women's cross country / track & field has added four runners that will compete on both the cross country team and run distance as members of the track & field team.
 
The four additions are Meika Bender, Avery Braker, Aly Douglass and Madeline Mellin.  The four incoming runners join nine incoming members of the track & field program announced in late May.  From that track & field group, Ashlyn Denney (Tolono, Ill. / Tolono Unity HS) will also run cross country.   Track & Field Release 
 
Meika Bender (Eureka, Ill.) ran cross country and track at Eureka High School.  Bender was a four-time IHSA Class 1A Cross Country State Championship qualifier.  She placed 29th as a senior with a 3-mile time of 17:59.5.  She finished second at the Peoria Notre Dame Regional and sixth at the Elmwood Sectional.   Bender placed seventh at the NXR Midwest Regional Championships Open 2 race with a 5,000 meter time of 19:43.6.  As a junior she finished 20th at the state championship leading her team to a fourth place team finish at the state championship.  She posted a state finals time of 17:53.8.  Bender won the Elmwood Sectional with a sub-18 minute performance.   She was 50th at the state championship as a sophomore and 109th at the state meet as a freshman.  In track she qualified for the IHSA Class 2A State Championships all four years in the 4x800 relay with the team landing on the podium three times including fourth place (senior), third place (sophomore) and seventh place (freshman) finishes.  Bender added individual trips to the state championships each year in either the 800 meter and 1,600 meter events.
 
Avery Braker (Morton, Ill.) ran cross country and track at Morton High School.  Braker was a two-time IHSA Class 2A Cross Country State Championship qualifier.  She placed 83rd as a senior with a 3-mile time of 18:55.0.  Braker placed fourth at the Dunlap Regional and posted a season best 3-mile time of 18:04.3 winning the Mid Illini Conference meet.  As a junior she placed 61st at the State Championships following a third place finish in the Geneseo Sectional.   She would post a 5K time of 20:23.1 at the NXR Midwest Regional Championships with a 15th place finish.  In track she advanced to the IHSA Class 2A State Championships in three events as a senior running the 800 meter, 1,600 meter and 4x400 relay events.  During her junior season she ran the second leg on the 4x800 relay team that placed second in the state with a finals time of 9:13.17.
 
Aly Douglass (Assumption, Ill.) ran cross country and track at Shelbyville High School.  Douglass was a two-time IHSA Class 1A Cross Country State Championship qualifier.  She placed 55th at the state meet as a senior posting a 3-mile time of 18:46.3.  She was 68th as a junior during her first state championship appearance finishing with a 3-mile time of 19:04.6.  During her senior year she placed third at the Shelbyville Regional and then 16th at the Toledo (Cumberland) Sectional.  Her season best 3-mile time was 18:41.5.  In track she was a multiple time IHSA Class 1A State Championship qualifier.  As a senior she ran the opening leg of the state champion 4x800 relay team that finished with a time of 9:23.52.  She was the third leg on the 4x800 relay as a junior when the team was the state silver medal winner.  As an individual she finished sixth in the state in the 800 meter run as a senior with a finals time of 2:16.84.
 
Madeline Mellin (Bourbonnais, Ill.) ran cross country and track at Bradley-Bourbonnais High School.  Mellin was a two-time IHSA Class 3A Cross Country State Championship qualifier.  She placed 57th at the state meet as a junior with a 3-mile time of 18:07.29.  As a sophomore Mellin finished 51st at the state championship with a 3-mile time of 18:45.60.  She had top three finishes in the regional in each of those two years placing third at the Tinley Park (Andrew) Regional as a junior and second at the Lockport Township Regional as a sophomore.   In track Mellin qualified for the IHSA Class 3A State Championships in the 3,200 meter run in both her sophomore and junior years.  Her best state finals 3,200 meter time was 11:13.02 during her junior season.