After much of the team had last weekend off, the Eastern track and field team is back in action this weekend, split between the Kansas Relays and the ISU Pacesetter.

The Kansas Relays is one of the biggest track and field events in the nation, with athletes from all over the country and throughout the world competing. The event has been held annually in Lawrence, Kan., for 84 years.

Though no Eastern athletes competed, the Kansas Relays have already made history, being the first ever track and field meet in the United States to ever host an event in the middle of a downtown city street. Although more common in Europe, the event was the first of its kind on American soil. Dylan Armstrong, ranked No. 7 in the world, took home first place.

For Eastern athletes, they will also have lots of top competition to face.

Competing in the men’s 100-meter dash alongside red-shirt junior Zye Boey will be sprinter Ivory Williams. At last year’s Kansas Relays event, Williams won the event, posting a time of 9.95 seconds, which was the best in the world at the time. Williams was named Most Outstanding Male Performer for the event. Boey is currently ranked among the nation’s best in the event.

Red-shirt freshman Mick Viken, also ranked among the nation’s best, will be competing alongside teammates Joe Noonan and Scott Mammoser in the men’s pole vault. Also competing in the event will be former national champion Jordan Scott of the host Kansas Jayhawks.

“Jordan Scott will be there, he’s up for Kansas,” Mammoser said. “He’s won the national championship, I don’t remember how many years now.”

Mammoser said Scott has cleared the 18-foot mark before, but says teammate Viken is looking forward to competing with him.

“He’s jumped well over 18-feet before, so we’ll get to see something really good there, but Mick (Viken) is looking to take (Scott) down this weekend, so we’ll see what he can do with him,” Mammoser said.

Women’s sprinters Emily Quinones and Jaida Moore will be competing in the 200-meter dash alongside last year’s Kansas Relays winner, Veronica Campbell-Brown. Campbell-Brown was named Most Outstanding Female Performer at last year’s event.

Eastern also has four athletes competing in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with senior Chad Aubin, sophomore Dominique Hall, and red-shirt seniors Pat Tortorici and Kris Gehrke. Also competing in the event will be the world’s No. 1 and 2 hurdlers, Bershawn ‘Batman’ Jackson and Johnny Dutch.

At Indiana State’s Pacesetter Invitational, the Panthers will see competition from Grand Valley State, Lewis, Indiana Tech, Southern Indiana and DePaul.

Brandon Pounds, competing unattached, but also an Indiana State alumnus, will be competing in the men’s hammer throw, discus and shot put events. As a junior at Indiana State, Pounds ranked among the best in the nation. Pounds will be competing against freshman Blake Stockich in the shotput event.

Both meets continue through Saturday.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-7944

or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu

Senior Preston Smith competes April 2 in the men’s 400 meter hurdles during the EIU Big Blue Classic at O’Brien Field. (Danny Damiani/The Daily Eastern News)

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