Track is about perfections and tweaks.

The Eastern men’s 400-meter relay team and Eastern head track coach Tom Akers nitpick their own race.

But for right now, they take pride in the school record, but only momentarily.

On Saturday at the Vanderbilt Invitational, the relay team set a school record by finishing second in 40.32 seconds. The previous mark was set in 1987 in 40.49 seconds. This mark doesn’t fall too often.

Only one men’s 400-meter relay team has a top 10 mark within the past five years, the 2009 team. Half of that squad is on the school record team in 2010.

Not only is this team’s mark the top in the Ohio Valley Conference in the outdoor season, but it ranks 15th in the West Region among schools like Nebraska and Iowa. The relay squad ranks 38th nationally this season. But they realize they have to work on their imperfections.

“It’d be nice to crank that thing down, and get a sub-40,” Akers said.

A finish less than 40 seconds would put the group at this point as one of the top 20 400-meter relay teams in the nation.

And Akers has plenty of faith in his team.

“They had the capability of going down there,” Akers said. “That’s why we took them.”

Red-shirt sophomore Zye Boey, senior Brandon Jelks, junior Darren Patterson and freshman Jacob Mitchell continue to make a drive this

season.

Jelks learns from mistakes

Akers said Jelks can run much better. Jelks said he can run better.

“We really didn’t feel good cause we know we can do better than that,” Jelks said. “It’s just been a good year for sprinters. It’s always good to come out and break a record and know you still can do better than that.”

Jelks was a part of last year’s 400-meter relay team that won the OVC outdoor championship, only the second time the Panthers have won the event at the conference championship.

Jelks was a top sprinter in his freshman year, then was injured and he said everything was all downhill from there.

“I wasn’t all the way there,” Jelks said. “Through the years, I’ve tried to become a man physically and mentally. This year I’ve really known where I’ve come from.”

Patterson continuing to be an influence

Patterson continues to make a difference at the Division I level.

The Rend Lake transfer and 2010 OVC Track Athlete of the Year is part of his second school record.

At the end of the indoor season, Patterson helped the men’s 1,600-meter relay team to a school record. This Top Cat award is also Patterson’s second Top Cat of the semester after that performance.

The OVC indoor 200-meter champion also has the fourth-best time in the 200-meter dash and the third-best time in the 400-meter dash in the conference during the outdoor season.

Jelks said Patterson’s training is different because he learned a lot from Rend Lake College, a junior college national power in cross country and track.

Jelks said Patterson’s prowess has made the relay team and the rest of the track team better.

Mitchell surprised by time, ready for next meet

Mitchell hasn’t spent that much time in an Eastern uniform, but he makes a difference.

This is the second Top Cat award of the semester for Mitchell after the freshman won the 55-meter dash at the OVC indoor championships.

He already has the eighth best mark in the 100-meter dash in outdoor program history.

The football transplant had seen a difference already.

“We’re all on the same page,” Mitchell said. “We push each other.”

He was part of winning high school team relay teams. He was the 2007 and 2008 state champion as a member of the 400-meter relay team at Springfield Lanphier.

Mitchell, however, was surprised the relay team set the school record.

“I never expected it to happen,” he said.

When asked about the next objective – simple: break the record again.

Boey wants to be the best

Boey identified the handoffs as the first issue of the relay team.

“We know other teams have good handoffs,” he said.

He said if they keep practicing, he wants the relay team to have a chance at the NCAA Regionals and perhaps, the NCAA outdoor national championships.

“It’s great to have that much talent on one team,” Boey said. “We still want more. We want a sub-40. Till we get sub-40, we’re not going to be happy.”

Boey said this year’s team has great talent, something he’s never been a part of in his life.

Boey has the top mark in the OVC in the 100-meter dash in 10.5 seconds.

“This year is the year,” he said. “This is the year we go down in history.”

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944

or kjmurphy@eiu.edu