Eastern Illinois Panthers track and field
The Eastern Illinois Panthers track and field program represents Eastern Illinois University in the sport of track and field. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Panthers host their home indoor meets in the Lantz Field House and their home outdoor meets at O'Brien Field, both located on the university's campus. The Panthers track teams are currently led by head coach Keith Roberts.
| Eastern Illinois Panthers track and field | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | Men’s: 1912 Women’s: 1974 |
| University | Eastern Illinois University |
| Athletic director | Tom Michael |
| Head coach | Keith Roberts (1st season) |
| Conference | OVC |
| Location | Charleston, IL |
| Indoor track | Lantz Field House[1] |
| Outdoor track | O'Brien Field |
| Nickname | Panthers |
| Colors | Blue and gray[2] |
| NCAA Outdoor National Championships | |
| Men's: Div. II 1974 | |
| Conference Indoor Championships | |
| Men's: 1967, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2023 Women's: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 | |
| Conference Outdoor Championships | |
| Men's: 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021 Women's: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 | |
History
The Eastern Illinois men's track and field team was organized in 1912 and got its first official coach in 1933 in Winfield Angus. Before 1933, coaching duties were assumed by a male faculty member; the Panthers women's team was formed in 1974–75. Eastern Illinois joined the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 1996, and the Panthers track team began to compete in the OVC in the winter of 1996.
Historically, the Panthers have been a force in the OVC, and have won a total of 51 conference team championships since 1996-97. The Panthers men have won seventeen OVC outdoor championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021), and nineteen indoor championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2023). The Panthers women have won eight OVC outdoor championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017), and seven indoor championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017).
NCAA individual event champions
Individual Champions:[3]
- 1955: Ray White, NAIA Long Jump
- 1967: John Craft, NAIA Triple Jump
- 1969: John Craft, NCAA College Division Triple Jump
- 1972: Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
- 1973: Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
- 1974: Darrell Brown, NCAA Division II Long Jump
- 1975: Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Long Jump
- 1975: Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Triple Jump
- 1976: Ed Hatch, NCAA Division II 400 Meter Dash
- 1979: Robert Johnson, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
- 1981: Augustine Oruwari, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
- 1988: Jim Maton, NCAA Division I 800 meter run (Indoor)
- 1992: Dan Steele, NCAA Division I 400 hurdles
Group Champions:
- 1981: 4x400 Relay, Women’s Track & Field AIAW II
Eastern Illinois Olympic medalists
- Dan Steele, Bronze Medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics[4]
Retired Jersey
| Person | Event | Career | Date of Retirement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Craft | Triple jump | 1965–1969 | January 22, 2011 | [5] |
Notable former athletes
Track
- John Craft, placed 5th in the Men’s triple jump at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Sandy Osei-Agyemang, advanced to the second round in the Men's 100 metres and Men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Dan Steele, track All-American, 400-meter National Champion, and Bronze Medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics[6]
- Darrin Steele, competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics[7]
References
- "Eastern Illinois Facilities". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- "Eastern Illinois University Panthers - Media Relations". October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- "EIU National Championships". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- "Dan Steel". Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- "EIU Track and Field Record Book" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- "Dan Steel". Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Darrin Steele Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2018.