The Eastern indoor track and field team will attempt to start the season strong, as it will host the Eastern Early Bird meet at 3 p.m. Friday at the Lantz Fieldhouse.

Eastern heads into this meet with plenty of momentum after taking the Ohio Valley Conference title on both sides.

Twelve Panther participants finished first in the 2011 Early Bird, and the team has a slew of returnees who could put up similar top numbers.

Second-team All-American red-shirt junior pole vaulter Jade Riebold leads the women’s team.

Riebold finished second at the Early Bird last year in her first season at Eastern after transferring from Georgia.

She placed first in the OVC Championship in the pole vault with a height of 4.03-meters.

Senior fellow pole vaulter Abigail Schmitz could also be a factor after finishing fourth at the Early Bird last season with a height of 3.65-meters, and second at the OVC Championship with a jump of 3.93-meters.

All-OVC senior Erika Ramos is the top Eastern women’s distance runner and she finished first at the Early Bird last season with a time of 4:55.59 in the mile run.

She placed second at the OVC Championship in the mile with a time of 4:54.37.

Junior All-OVC hurdler Jalisa Paramore will also play a key role at the meet.

She finished second at the 60-meter hurdles at the 2011 Early Bird and finished second at the 55-meter hurdles at the OVC Championship.

Junior Condia Smith is the top Eastern women thrower. She finished ninth at the 2011 Early Bird in the shot put. She finished third at the OVC Championship.

The men also have a variety of participants who will contend for the top spots at the Early Bird.

Red-shirt junior Mick Viken is the defending Early Bird pole vault champ after a 5.18-meter jump. He also took first at the OVC Championship with a jump of 5.10-meter.

Junior Kaleel Johnson is the top men’s sprinter after finishing second at the OVC Championship in the 200-meter dash. He placed third at the 2011 Early Bird.

Sophomore Bryce Basting is the top distance runner. He finished third at the 2011 Early Bird in the mile with a time of 4:24.42 and he finished third in the 800-meter and sixth in the mile at the OVC Championship.

Red-shirt senior Sean Wiggan joins Basting as one of the top distance runners. Wiggan won the 1000-meter run at the 2011 Early Bird. He also took the title in the 800-meter run in the OVC Championship with a time of 1:52.08.

Indiana State, Southeast Missouri, and a select group from St. Xavier will also be at the event.

The meet will be scored as a dual event.

Following the Early Bird meet, the Panthers will again host a meet on Jan. 19 for the John Craft Invitational.

Holden Fuehne can be reached at 581-2812 or hjfuehne@eiu.edu.