Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

EIU wrapped up its lone home meet for the 2025-2026 indoor season. The Panthers capped off the John Craft Invite with multiple first-place finishes and delivered strong performances across the board.  

Men's Track: 

Sam Bradbury kicked off the meet for the Panthers with a stellar performance in the weight throw, earning a gold medal with an 18.66m mark and 61' 2.75", which ranks 6th all-time in EIU history. The Panthers continued to dominate the field events, claiming the top three spots on the podium in the long jump. The rookie, Machi Nelson, earned a 6.97m mark. PJ Anderson and Ethan McBride followed closely behind. Enoch Appiah-Kubi claimed the top spot in the Men's Triple Jump with a 14.30m mark. In the 60m hurdles, EIU faced no trouble as they earned the top four placements. Freshman Maxwell St. Clair earned gold, finishing in 8.37 seconds, followed by his teammates Weston Averkamp, Mason Booker, and Dagen Geier. Daniel Lacy and Shawn Lacy went one and two in the Men's 60 Meters. Daniel finished in 6.77 seconds, with Shawn closely behind at 6.90 seconds. Freshman Justice Eldridge lost a tight battle for first place in the Men's Mile with a finishing time of 4:25.52.  

Women's Track: 

EIU finished one through four in the weight throw, led by Emily Sykes with a 14.39m mark, followed by Marco Reynolds, Macey Miller, and Becca Robbins. Abby Venhaus flew in the long jump, finishing at the top with a 5.66m mark. Venhaus also placed second in the Women's 60 Meters with a time of 7.64 seconds, ranking 6th all-time in EIU history. Annabelle Coudron nearly outpaced the competition in the Women's 200 Meters but fell short with a time of 26.46 seconds. Devin Johnston found herself second on the podium in the Women's 400 Meters with a time of 1:00.08. In the Women's Mile, OVC preseason athlete to watch Brenda Torres claimed second place with a time of 5:04.99. In the 60m hurdles, two Panthers came out on top; NeVaeh Bryant finished first in 8.98 seconds, and Angela Dobbins came in second place with a time of 9.36 seconds. The Panthers Women's Distance Medley Relay struck gold with a winning time of 13:16.05. Layla Bonilla dominated the Women's Triple Jump with an 11.80m mark and 38' 8.75 CONV, ranking 8th in the EIU record book.  

Up Next: EIU will be back in action next Saturday, January 24th, for the Fighting Illini Challenge.