If either Eastern Illinois men’s or women’s track teams wins the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship this weekend in Nashville, Tenn., it will not be a Music City Miracle.

Why should it? Both teams have been there before.

The men’s team has been OVC Indoor Champions for seven consecutive years and 10 of the last 11 seasons.

The women’s team won its first indoor championship ever last season, despite junior hurdler Chandra Golden being the only individual to win an event.

This season, the men’s greatest challenge will be Southeast Missouri.

SEMO is solid in sprinting: Junior sprinter Chris Gill ranks first in the 200-meter run (21.87 seconds), and senior sprinter Miles Smith ranks first in the 400-meter run (46.13 seconds).

SEMO also has the OVC’s fastest 1,600-meter relay team by more than seven seconds.

In the field, SEMO boasts the first and third top long jumpers: senior jumper John Berry (24 feet, 10.5 inches) and freshman jumper Tyler Terry (22 feet, 4.5 inches), respectively.

Also, SEMO has the top-three ranked shot-putters and the top-two ranked throwers in the 35-lb. weight throw.

To win, Eastern men must stick to their strengths. But when the Panthers are good, they are very good.

Eastern boasts the top-six ranked 800-meter runners in the OVC, led by junior distance runner David Holm (1 minute, 51.24 seconds).

Eastern’s distance medley team (9:55.21) is in first place in the OVC by 25 seconds more than Eastern Kentucky (10:18.29).

Eastern also dominates the high jump: All the top-five ranked athletes in that event are Panthers, led by senior jumper Obe Eruteya (6 feet, 8.75 inches).

Eruteya is a four-time OVC Field Athlete of the Week this season and is also the top triple jumper (50 feet, 7.5 inches) in the OVC.

For the women to repeat, they may have to follow a similar recipe as last season. Only one member of the team, Golden, is currently ranked in an event in the OVC, in the 60-meter hurdles (8.65 seconds).

However, 12 Eastern women’s track athletes are ranked in the top five of their events.

It will not be a miracle for Eastern’s teams to hoist the hardware this weekend in the Volunteer State, but it is going to take some work.

Dan Cusack can reached at 581-7944 or at [email protected].