Junior pole-vaulter Nicolene Galas set a team season high by clearing 11 feet, 6.5 inches on Saturday at Wisconsin’s Elite Invitational.

Galas was Eastern’s highest finisher of the meet as she finished third behind two Wisconsin vaulters.

University of Illinois-Chicago and Illinois State were also at the invitational.

The team competed this weekend without head coach Tom Akers because he was sick the day of departure.

“It was strange not to have his guidance,” said freshman runner Tarra Grant.

Freshman sprinter/hurdler Samantha Manto said the other coaches did a good job filling in the gaps.

Despite competing against schools with bigger and faster programs, Eastern placed in the top five or better in seven out of 16 events.

Freshman thrower and jumper Nicole Walcott was one of several Eastern athletes who saw improvements this weekend.

She placed sixth in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, and earned seventh in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet, 9.75 inches. Her throw was a foot better than her previous performances this season.

Manto shaved time off her 60-meter hurdles. She placed fifth with a personal record time of 9.74 seconds.

Distance runners senior Angie Simone and freshman Jessica Blondell, took fifth, sixth in the 3000-meter run respectively. And sophomore Kirsten Bosnack placed seventh and improved on her Mega Meet time by five seconds.

Freshman runner Violet Nwordu also did well. She placed seventh or better in all three of her events. Nwordu took fourth in the 60-meter dash at 7.95 seconds and seventh in the 200-meter dash at 26.21. Both times are faster than any other Eastern times this season.

Nwordu was also part of the fifth place 4×400 relay team which, despite shuffling of the roster, ran seven seconds faster than at the EIU Mega Meet.

“I just looked at it (the invite) as a way to be in a big facility, running against girls who are on a whole other level,” Manto said.