West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University track and field teams are set to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Outdoor Meet this week. The event will take place at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. This marks the Leathernecks' debut at the OVC Outdoor Meet, where they aim to achieve strong performances both individually and as a team.

Coach Trey Brokaw expressed optimism about the team's prospects: "We're really excited for the conference championships this weekend. The team is ready to compete. We're confident that they can do quite well in their first outdoor Ohio Valley Conference meet." Brokaw noted that on paper, the men's team ranks in the middle of the standings while the women's team is third out of 11 teams.

Reflecting on past performances, Western Illinois women scored 78 points to finish third overall at the indoor meet, marking their best result since 2007. The men's team secured fifth place with 48 points, their highest score since 2014.

Brokaw acknowledged challenges faced during the season: "We weren't quite able to have the outdoor schedule we wanted," he said. "Weather has affected many of our performances." Despite these setbacks, certain athletes have excelled in events such as middle distance races, horizontal jumps, and pole vaulting.

Several Western Illinois athletes are currently ranked among the top five in various OVC events. Notable mentions include Maleigha Huston leading in Women's 800 meters and second in Women's 1500 meters; Logan Lommel holding top spots in Men's 3000 steeplechase and second in Men's 1500 meters; and Aylana Cezar topping Women's 3000 steeplechase.

Looking ahead, NCAA postseason competitions begin on May 22nd. Qualifying Leatherneck athletes will compete at the NCAA West Regionals in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Coach Brokaw remains hopeful for more qualifiers: "I'm hopeful a few more individuals can punch their ticket to the NCAA Regional Championships two weeks from now."