To say the men’s indoor track team has been dominating in the Ohio Valley Conference is an understatement.

The men’s team has won 10 of the last 11 indoor track championships – including seven straight titles.

One of the reasons the team has been so successful is the ability to replace talent lost in graduation or transfer students with talented and competitive athletes.

This season, the men will try to win their eighth straight title without a number of key members of last year’s squad.

The Panthers lost OVC shot put and 35-pound weight throw champion Jimmy Shultz to graduation, as well as OVC pole vault champion Kyle Ellis.

The team’s top hurdler, Kirkland Thornton – an OVC champion in the 55-meter high hurdles and in the 60-meter high hurdles – transferred to Nebraska for his final year of eligibility.

The OVC champion in the one-mile, Dan Strackeljahn, also graduated following the 2007 season.

However, the Panthers have reloaded with other capable athletes.

David Holm returns this season. Holm is the OVC champion in the 800-meter run. The Panthers also have held onto the OVC Track Athlete of the Week senior jumper Obe Eruteya.

The Panthers look to replace Strackeljahn with Holm. He won the mile at Eastern’s Early Bird Invite on Dec. 8 in 4 minutes, 6.53 seconds.

The Panthers have plenty of athletes looking to step up this season.

Sophomore middle distance runners Jason Springer and senior Chris Wesson both had impressive performances in the season’s first meet, coming in second and third place respectively in the 800-meter run.

Springer ran a 1:55.58, while Wesson ran a 1:56.14.

Senior long distance runner Brad Butler’s time of 8:50.54 was good enough for third place at the Early Bird Invite

Sophomore sprinter Wes Sheldon was first place at the meet with a time of 2:32.37.

With the season taking shape, and the Panthers hosting their second meet this weekend, the Panthers are beginning to look prime for their eighth straight conference title.

Dan Cusack may be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.