Obe Eruteya has made the most of his year off the track and field team.

After missing last season with a pinched nerve in his leg, the junior jumped above and beyond anyone in the Ohio Valley Conference this indoor season.

Eruteya was named OVC’s male field “Athlete of the Year” last week.

“After watching for a whole year and not doing anything, it felt good to show that all my rehab and hard work had paid off,” said Eruteya. “It was good to get back to jumping again.”

He backed up the award with a first place finish in the triple jump and a second place finish in the high jump at the OVC Championships in Nashville, Tenn.

“I felt privileged,” he said about standing on the awards podium in Nashville. “It showed that all of the hard work and dedication really paid off.”

With his triple jump of 50 feet 7 inches (that is a distance nearly half the length of a regulation basketball court, baseline to half-court) he added his name to the Eastern record books as well. Eruteya is the first Eastern athlete to jump over 50 feet in the triple jump in 15 years, since Nevin Govan leaped 50 feet 1.5 inches in 1991.

Eruteya’s best jump coming into the season was 47 feet 10 inches, a distance almost 3 feet under what he boasts today.

But Erueteya has higher goals in mind.

“I want to be nationally ranked and All-American,” he said. And those goals may soon be a reality, as he is only 4 inches away from the qualifying distance to go to nationals.

Eruteya says his motivation is to “be the best.”

“I want to be a leader,” he said.

Eruteya tries to lead by example for his teammates, to push them to strive for their best.

“I want to show them that if you put your mind to something it can be achieved,” he added.

Freshman Travis Timmons says Eruteya is always encouraging and a lot of fun.

“Obe always has something to say,” he said with a laugh.

Eruteya was attracted to Eastern’s program because of its long success in the OVC. He wanted to be part of a championship team, and he has enjoyed contributing to that this season.

A three-sport athlete at Niles Notre Dame High School, Eruteya played soccer and basketball and only got into track after his basketball coach told him he should try-out since he “jumped pretty well.”

“I don’t know when it clicked with him, but at some point he realized that athletic ability alone will not get you where you want to be, but athletic ability combined with a tireless work ethic produces a champion,” said Panther assistant coach Nate Davis, who coaches the jumpers. “He works as hard, if not harder than anyone we have and that is truly why he has been successful this year.”

Practices for the jumper consist of lifting (emphasis on leg work), technique and approaches. Eruteya admitted that technique is the hardest for him to work on.

“Obe will jump as far as he allows himself to,” said Davis.

But Davis also points out that in order to reach the lengths of 54 and 55 feet in the triple jump he will need to take his commitment to the next level.

“There is not doubt that he has the athletic ability and competitive spirit to do that,” Davis said. “I’m confident that Obe will find the next level while competing here at EIU.”

Eruteya credits his coaches and teammates with pushing and motivating him and to achieve success this season.

Eruteya could not talk about his season without including the future. His goal for the short term is to make nationals, with a qualifying performance at the Last Chance Qualifier meet at the University of Arkansas. In the long term he would like to be named All-American and see his name in the record books as Eastern’s top jumper.

But only Obe knows how far Obe will go.