Eastern Illinois University jumper Machi Nelson was named the Ohio Valley Conference Male Freshman of the Week on April 1 following his performances at the EIU Big Blue Invite.
The recognition highlights Nelson’s achievements at the season-opening meet, where he secured first place in both the triple jump and long jump events. His results contributed to a total of 12 first-place finishes for Eastern Illinois University over the weekend.
Nelson’s winning distance in the long jump was 24 feet, 7 inches, while he achieved a mark of 47 feet, 4.25 inches in the triple jump. He is currently ranked first in the conference for long jump and holds the third-best mark in triple jump among Ohio Valley Conference athletes.
He was one of three Eastern Illinois athletes to win multiple events at this meet. The Panthers will compete next at the Indiana State Pacesetter Invitational scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
Nelson’s performance sets a strong tone for his freshman year as well as for Eastern Illinois’ track and field team moving forward.
