The Eastern men’s track and field team has moved up in both the national and regional rankings after a successful weekend at the Kansas Relays and the Indiana State Pacesetter.

In the national poll, the Panthers have moved up nine spots since last week, currently sitting at No. 38. The Panthers are the highest ranked men’s or women’s Ohio Valley Conference team in the nation with their new position.

Texas A&M is the nation’s new No. 1 men’s team, moving up from the No. 2 spot, while Louisiana State sits atop the women’s national rankings, also moving up from the second place position.

In the Midwest Regional, the Panthers have moved up one spot since last week, but still remain outside the top 10, currently at the No. 11 spot.

The first four spots remain unchanged, with Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma staying put. Kansas moved up three spots to No. 5, followed by Missouri, Illinois and Iowa State. Illinois and Iowa State have both dropped in the rankings since last week’s poll. Wichita State and Kansas State round out the region’s top ten.

Making the biggest jump of the week into the region’s top 15, Tulsa has moved up five spots from No. 19 to No. 14.

In the individual national rankings, red-shirt junior Zye Boey is currently tied for eighth place in the 100-meter dash with D’Angelo Cherry of Mississippi State. Jeff Demps of Florida remains as the nation’s best. In the 200-meter dash, Boey is ranked No. 10 with his time of 20.66 seconds. Maurice Mitchell of Florida State holds the nation’s top spot.

Red-shirt freshman Mick Viken is currently tied with four other athletes for the No. 5 spot in the nation. Scott Roth of Washington holds the nation’s No. 1 spot.

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

Freshman thrower Blake Stokich releases the javelin during the second day of the EIU Big Blue Classic April 2, outside of O’Brien Field. Eastern’s track and field team moved up to the No. 38 spot on national rankings. (Danny Damiani/The Daily Eastern News

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