Eastern will host thousands of high school athletes this weekend for the IHSA girls’ track meet.

Some of those athletes will come from local and surrounding high schools such as Charleston, Mattoon, Effingham, Arcola and Tuscola.

Eastern’s athletic department, the track and field staff and student athletes will work alongside IHSA officials to run the meet.

Eastern has been the only home to the girls’ state meet since 1973.

Recently, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors approved Eastern’s contract extension to host the IHSA track and field state finals through 2022.

Ava Ostendorf, junior from Bunker Hill High School, said she likes Eastern’s track, and “it’s pretty.

Ostendorf said this is her second time competing in the state finals, and she always runs fast.

When the time comes to choose a school, she said would want to attend one similar to Eastern.

Class 1A runs the preliminary rounds Thursday at the O’Brien Field where only the top eight will move on to compete in finals on Friday.

While they finish, classes 2A and 3A will run prelims and end the tournament in their finals Saturday afternoon.

Camelia Nicholson can be reached at 581-2812 or cdnicholson@eiu.edu.