Eastern Illinois director of track & field / cross country James Gildon has announced the Panthers incoming class of athletes for the women's programs that will join the Panthers for the 2026-27 season.
 
The group of six athletes combines multiple state championship qualifiers.
 
EIU women's track and field finished second at both the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships this season, the highest finish for the program since the 2017 season.
 
Below are quick bios on each of the incoming men's athletes.
 
Amiyah Galica – Competed in track and field at The Prairie School in Racine, Wis… advanced to the WIAA State Championships in the 300 hurdles as a senior placing eighth in the state with a finals time of 45.73… ran for The Stallions Club for track reaching the AAU Junior Olympics in the 400 hurdles as a junior, placed 30th at the event with a time of 1:05.76… placed third in the state in the 300 hurdles as a junior with a finals time of 44.73… also ran the anchor leg on the 4x100 relay team that placed sixth in the state with a finals time of 50.22… reached the Wisconsin State Indoor Championships in the 60 meter dash and high jump during winter of junior year…
 
Alessandra Gregory – Competed in both cross country and track at Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Ill… reached the IHSA Class 3A Cross Country State Championships as a junior and senior placing 71st at the meet as a senior with a 3-mile final of 17:48… ran a 3-mile time of 17:34.6 to place 12th at the Roselle Lake Park Sectional… was 59th at the state championships as a junior with a 3-mile finals time of 17:52.8… in track and field reached the IHSA Class 3A State Championships as a senior competing in the 3,200 meter run… placed fourth in the Wheaton Warrenville South Sectional with a time of 11:02.88…
 
Ava Kelley – Competed in track and field at Boonville High School in Boonville, Ind… reached the IHSAA Outdoor State Championships as a junior in the 100 meter and 200 meter sprints… during the senior indoor season placed second in the 60 meter dash at the Indiana State HSR Qualifier with a time of 7.99… as a senior finished eighth in the state in the 100 meter dash with a finals time of 12.26…  also reached the state championships in the long jump as a senior with a finals mark of 17'7.75"… placed second in the 100 meters as the Regional 8 with a time of 12.07… was fourth in the 200 meter at the Regional and was third in the long jump…
 
Nyameye Maison –  Ran both cross country and track at Morton High School in Morton, Ill… in cross country reached the IHSA Class 2A Cross Country State Championships as both a junior and senior… posted a 3-mile finals time of 19:22.5 as a senior placing 124th at the state meet… placed 53rd at the NXR Midwest Regional Championships with a 5,000 meter time of 21:04.1… in track and field reached the IHSA Class 2A State Championships in three events as a senior… finished eighth in the state in the 400 meter run with a finals time of 58.22… competed in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay events at the state meet… reached the state championships in the 400 meter run and 4x400 relay as a junior…
 
Amyjia Robinson - Competed in track and field at Belleville West High School in Belleville, Ill… advanced to the IHSA Class 3A State Championships as a senior landing on the podium in all four events… ran the opening leg on the 4x100 relay team that placed fourth in the state with a finals time of 46.81… ran the third leg on the 4x200 relay that won bronze at the state finals with a time of 1:38.72… finished fourth in the state in the 100 hurdles with a finals time of 14.21 after running a time of 14.00 at the O'Fallon Sectional… finished ninth in the 300 meter hurdles posting a prelim time of 42.64… was third in the state in the 300 hurdles as a junior competing in the 100 hurdles, 4x200 relay and 4x400 relay at the state championships… reached the state meet in three events as a sophomore and two events as a freshman…
 
Natalie Thomason – Competed in track and field at Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin High School in Bismarck, Ill… reached the IHSA Class 1A State Championships as a senior in four events landing on the podium in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and high jump… finished sixth in the state in the high jump with a finals jump of 5'3.25"… placed ninth in the state in both hurdles events running a state finals time of 15.86 in the 100 hurdles and 46.68 in the 300 hurdles… was also a member of the 4x200 relay team that competed at the state finals… was the Catlin Salt Fork Sectional champion in all three individual events with a time of 15.42 in the 100 hurdles, 46.95 in the 300 hurdles and cleared height of 5'3.75" in the high jump… reached the IHSA State Championships as a sophomore and junior in the 400 meter run and high jump… also ran cross country reaching the Sectional as a junior and senior…