Eastern has several different options it uses to score points.

But a trio of jumpers who get together to watch American Idol will be counted upon to produce a majority of points for the Panthers at Saturday’s Mega Meet at Lantz Fieldhouse.

Senior Nicole Marcewski, and sophomores Vickie Dzura and Jenna Uhe have not only become top competitors in the long and triple jump in the Ohio Valley Conference but also developed a close friendship along the way.

The women practice together daily, have weekly ice cream trips and movie nights.

“They all have different personalities, in their own way but they mesh together very well,” assistant coach Nate Davis said. “They are very dedicated and mature and they set a good example for the rest of their teammates.”

Being the oldest, Marcewski was put into the leadership position where Davis said she fits perfectly.

“She is not vocal; she doesn’t yell at people or make a lot of noise,” Davis said. “She leads by example with her flawless work ethic. She is one of those people you have to watch to make sure they aren’t doing too much.”

Marcewski really enjoys being the leader but said at times it can be difficult and the other women sometimes end up helping and motivating her.

“I knew how good Jenna was in high school so that made me want to train harder and work better to be around the same level as her,” Marcewski said.

Marchewski is the first person on the runway and the first to start warm-ups, Davis said. “If I had a team full of her then I would have no worries,” he said.

Marcewski currently holds the sixth-best triple jump in Eastern history.

Davis said her success comes from how hard she has worked because she may not be as tall or have as much athletic ability as the other two, but she is right at the same level with them.

In 2005, after losing Ronesha Franklin, who broke the school record in the triple jump, Davis said they were looking for someone to fill Franklin’s spot.

Marcewski was the only triple jumper they had coming back.

That is when they came across Uhe, who as a junior in high school, placed in the state meet in both the triple and long jump.

They recruited and signed her early and knew she could come in and be a threat right away, Davis said.

Uhe qualified for United States Junior Nationals last year in the triple jump and currently has the fourth-best triple jump and sixth-best long jump in Eastern history.

With Dzura the story was a little different. She didn’t know how to triple jump before coming to Eastern.

Davis said he was surprised at how fast she caught on and how early she became a big contributor to the team.

“Vickie has something that Denise Jones had when she was here and that is just this elastic energy, Davis said. “She just pops off the ground when she jumps.”

Dzura said that elasticity might come from all the years she did gymnastics.

“My favorite thing was to do front flips and just see how high I could get each time,” Dzura said.

The sophomore earned the seventh-best triple jump at Eastern in her first year of competing.

The three will only be participating in the long jump on Saturday because Davis is going to try to keep them well rested and fresh throughout the season.

They are aiming to go first, second, and third in the outdoor OVC meet and Davis said he is planning to have them rotate meets until the OVC’s, with long jumping one meet and then triple jump the next.

“I want them to not be too worn out by the time OVC’s come around,” Davis said. “Money in the bank, that is what I am hoping for.”