After being ranked No. 105 in the pre-season national poll, the Eastern men’s track and field team is now the No. 7 team in this week’s first regional rankings.

The No. 7 spot was the peak position for the Panthers during the indoor season, where they finished the season outside of the regional top ten.

In the national poll, the Panthers have jumped 48 spots from their preseason position to now sit at No. 57.

In the Midwest Region, Eastern is the only representative of the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Big 12 Conference holds control of the region, with five of the top ten teams.

The Big Ten Conference has the second most with three teams in the top ten.

The Panthers also have two of the top athletes in the country with red-shirt junior Zye Boey and red-shirt freshman Mick Viken. Boey is currently No. 2 in the country in the men’s 100-meter dash and No. 4 in the country in the 200-meter dash.

Boey’s 100-meter time stands at 10.15 seconds, while his 200-meter time stands at 20.67 seconds.

Junior Jeff Demps of the nationally ranked No. 1 of University of Florida holds the top 100-meter time at 9.96 seconds. Junior Maurice Mitchell of Florida State holds the nation’s top 200-meter time at 20.24 seconds.

Red-shirt freshman Mick Viken is currently tied for the No. 2 spot in the nation for the men’s pole vault.

The NCAA Division-I Week 1 National Rankings show five other athletes currently tied with Viken.

Senior Jordan Scott of Kansas holds the top spot, with a mark of 18-feet, 8.80-inches. Viken recorded a mark of 17-feet, 4.5-inches at this past weekend’s EIU Big Blue Classic.

In the Ohio Valley Conference, Boey and Viken were named Male Track Athlete of the Week and Male Field Athlete of the Week for their performances.

Boey holds the No. 1 100-meter dash time in the OVC, as well as the 200-meter dash.

Teammate senior Darren Patterson follows Boey in second in both events. Mick Viken holds the top spot in the OVC for the pole vault event. Teammates Scot Mammoser and Joe Noonan hold the No. 2 and 3 spots.

The Panthers will continue their outdoor schedule this weekend at the WKU Hilltopper Relays in Bowling Green, Ky., at Western Kentucky University.

Midwest Regional Ranking

1. Nebraska

2. Minnesota

3. Iowa

4. Illinois

5. Kansas

6. Wichita

7. Eastern

8. Iowa State

9. Kansas

10. Oklahoma

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-7944 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction April 6, 2011:

The national rankings of red-shirt freshman Mick Viken and red-shirt junior Zye Boey were misprinted. Viken is second in the men’s pole vault, while Boey is second in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200-meter. The DEN regrets this error.

Sophomore Danny Harris participates in the mens 110 meter hurdles during the EIU Big Blue Classic Saturday afternoon at O’Brien Field. Harris placed ninth with a time of 15.02 seconds. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)

(more…)