The Eastern women’s and men’s track and field teams capture the Ohio Valley Conference championships again. Check. Now it’s time to move on.

“We’re going to have our work cut out for us in the outdoor season,” Akers said. “It was not an easy victory by any means on either side of the ball.”

The title is the women’s third team title in the past four years. For the men, the title is its 12th title in 14 chances. However, the Panthers will return with senior David Holm for the outdoor season. Holm, a good mid-distance runner, will help tally more points at the outdoor conference meet. Oh, and he’s been at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Panthers will not only have him, but possibly the return of red-shirt sophomore Zye Boey.

Boey reached both the indoor and outdoor national championships during last season. The only thing in question is his health.

Some other athletes who are getting healthy are red-shirt freshman Jacob Mitchell and sophomore Tyler Carter. Mitchell ran his first official meet at the OVC Indoor Championships and won the 55-meter dash in 6.38 seconds, the eighth-best mark in school history. Mitchell gives a boost to the short-sprint core with Boey’s injury. Carter scored in long jump and competed in long jump, hurdles and sprints.

While senior thrower Kandace Arnold was the OVC Female Athlete of the Championships, red-shirt sophomore Megan Gingerich certainly should get a nod as well.

Gingerich won the high jump- as she said herself, not her best event. She edged Murray State senior Taylor Crawford in the 800-meter run. She helped the distance medley relay team to a win, and helped the 1,600-meter relay to a victory as well.

Tobler sixth at indoor championships

Former Eastern assistant track coach JaRod Tobler wrapped up the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships with a sixth-place showing in the long jump. Tobler’s longest jump was 25 feet, 8 inches, was the best of his six jumps, and it came on his sixth jump. Jeremy Hicks won the event with a leap of 26 feet, .75 inches.

The Illinois State grad and former East Tennessee State coach left Eastern to try to join the U.S. team in hopes to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In the summer of 2008, Tobler finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the long jump. In the trials he was second in qualifying (26 feet, 9.25 inches) and finished sixth overall (26 feet, 6.5 inches) in the finals.

Galligan helps capture championship

Former Eastern basketball player Rachel Galligan was on the sideline helping her high school capture a state basketball championship.

The leading scorer in Eastern women’s basketball history saw the Bloomington Central Catholic Saints defeat Quincy Notre Dame 64-48 in the Class 2A state championship. Galligan is also a former thrower for the Eastern women’s track team. She is a graduate of Bloomington Central Catholic.

Kevin Murphy can be reached

at 581-7944 or kjmurphy@eiu.edu