Eastern Illinois University announced on Mar. 26 that its track and field team will open the outdoor season by hosting the EIU Big Blue Meet this weekend.
The event marks the start of the Panthers’ outdoor campaign, with competitions scheduled over two days. Field events begin Friday at 2 p.m., followed by running events at 4 p.m. Saturday’s schedule starts with field events at 11 a.m., then running events at 12:15 p.m., concluding with senior recognition on the track. Live results and video streams will be available throughout both days.
Several teams are set to compete, including Eastern Illinois, Ball State, Indiana State, Western Illinois, Illinois Track & Field Club, and Community Christian College.
Daniel Lacy returns as one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s top sprinters after advancing to last year’s NCAA West Regional and being named OVC Track Athlete of the Year for this past indoor season. In field events, Enoch Appiah-Kubi was noted as Eastern Illinois’ leading long jumper in his freshman year in 2025 while Sam Bradbury excelled in throws. Senior Zac Stout has been recognized as a top multi-event athlete during both indoor and outdoor competitions.
On the women’s side, Abby Venhaus comes into the meet following an OVC Indoor Championship where she earned Female Athlete of the Championship honors. Last spring she recorded team-leading performances in both the 100-meter dash and long jump. Junior Brenda Torres is expected to have a strong outdoor season in middle distance races while Rylea Borgic stands out among conference steeplechase runners.
The meet offers athletes an opportunity to build momentum early in their outdoor campaigns as they compete against regional opponents.
