Friday, May 4, 2007 1:16 AM CDT
Great outdoors? EIU hopes success isn’t only indoors
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON – Less than three months after running championship laps, Eastern Illinois track teams can still claim to be the hunter.
And if women’s coach Mary Wallace needs any advice on the pitfalls that could come after the Panther women’s first Ohio Valley Conference track title won at last February’s indoor meet, she only has to go to the office next door.
During his string of OVC indoor championships that reached six straight this year, EIU men’s coach Tom Akers the past two springs has finished second to Southeast Missouri.
So Akers was not accepting the reigning champion title looking ahead to the OVC outdoor meet that comes to Eastern’s O’Brien Stadium starting at 2 p.m. today and winding up Saturday, the first time since 1997 EIU has been the outdoor meet host.
“The only thing that is reigning is the rain is outside,” Akers said. “They (SEMO’s Redhawks) are the outdoor champs. They are totally different events.”
So does this mean the Panthers can still have a chip on their shoulders after dominating the OVC indoors?
“I don’t know if it would be categorized as a chip but I think the last two outdoor championships we’ve been disappointed with the results and ready to remedy that,” Akers said.
This year SEMO is not expected to have last year’s Co-Athlete of the Year in sprinter Miles Smith, who after missing the indoor meet with an injury has run just one outdoor meet in early April.
“Rumor is he is redshirting,” Akers said. “I would be surprised to see him.”
Southeast Missouri coach Joey Haines could not be reached for comment this week.
Even if Smith does not run this weekend, Eastern has no guarantees.
“Last year I thought on paper we were the favored team but we didn’t get out and take care of business,” Akers said. “We made some mental mistakes. That’s the thing about any sport. No matter what it says on paper, you have to do it that day.”
Wallace no doubt has been told that shortly into the EIU women’s early reign as indoor champions seeking an outdoor reign.
“It’s two different events, two different types of meets,” the Panther women’s coach said. “In some ways we still have a lot to prove because we’ve never won an outdoor title. But at the same time having won an indoor title gives the girls a little more.”
The EIU women enter this weekend’s championship with seven OVC bests this season. Senior Nicole Marczewski is the only EIU woman to lead in multiple events with OVC bests in the long jump and triple jump.
Other OVC leaders from Eastern are Chandra Golden in the 100 high hurdles, Shawana Smith in the 200, Nicole Flounders in the 800, Tricia Gaumer in the pole vault and Kandace Arnold in the shot put.
Golden was the only indoor individual champion for the balanced Panther women when she was first in the 60 hurdles.
In addition to being a dual event leader, Marczewski is the only EIU female athlete that has currently qualified for the NCAA Regionals. Marczewski passed the NCAA mark in the triple jump at last week’s Stan Lyons Invitational.
Other NCAA qualifiers scheduled to compete this weekend on the women’s side are Dominique Ward of Tennessee State in the 400 meters, Lauren Blankenship of Samford in the 5,000 meters and Juli Koenegstein of Southeast Missouri in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
“It’s going to be us, Tennessee State and I think Jacksonville State is a good quality team,” Wallace said. “I don’t think you can ever count out SEMO as well. We’re definitely in the hunt for it.”
Eight Eastern Illinois men have posted the best time or distance in the OVC this season for their respective events.
Kirkland Thornton, the 60 high hurdles indoor champion, owns the top outdoor times in both the 110 meter and 400 meter hurdles while indoor triple jump champion Obe Eruteya is also a dual category leader in the triple jump and high jump. Teammate Ian Winston shares the high jump mark with Eruteya.
Austin Hogue, who was last year’s Co-Athlete of the Year, holds the season best in the javelin with Brenton Pegues the leader in the 400 meters, Chris Wesson in the 800 meters and Ed Miller in the pole vault.
Three Eastern Illinois men have already hit NCAA qualifying marks this season as Pegues earned his trip to the Missouri Regional two weeks ago at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Hogue punched his ticket in the javelin last weekend at the Drake Relays while Eruteya passed the NCAA mark on his final attempt in the triple jump at the Stan Lyons Invitational.
Also qualified for the NCAA regional from the OVC are Dominique Rodgers of Tennessee State in the long jump, Chris Howell of Tennessee State in the 200 meters and Brandon Colbort, a double qualifier in the discus and shot put.
“We’re in good position on the men’s and women’s side,” Akers said. “According to our rankings it appears that we’re the teams to beat. I think the thing that the coaches are most excited about is the marks are getting better. It shows signs that we are ready.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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