Eastern Illinois University reported on Apr. 25 that its outdoor track and field team achieved five top three finishes at the Drake Relays.
The results highlight strong performances by both men’s and women’s teams over the course of three days. The university said Maliek Bush won first place in the men’s long jump with a mark of 24 feet, 1.75 inches. Shawn Lacy secured third place in the javelin event with a throw of 193 feet, 4 inches.
On Friday, two women athletes reached second place: Layla Bonilla in the triple jump with a distance of 39 feet, 10.75 inches, and Abby Venhaus in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 4.75 inches. Ashlyn Denney opened competition for Eastern Illinois University on Thursday by finishing second in the women’s 800 meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 10.05 seconds—an achievement that ranks as ninth best in school history.
Additionally, the women’s relay team posted notable times during their events at Drake Relays. On Friday they qualified for Saturday’s finals in the women’s four-by-100 meter relay with a time of 45.54 seconds—the second best ever recorded by an Eastern Illinois University squad—and improved to fifth place overall on Saturday with an even faster time of 45.29 seconds.
These results demonstrate continued progress for Eastern Illinois University’s track and field program as it competes against regional opponents.
