Senior Bryn Buckwalter earned two personal bests in the weight throw and shotput Friday at Eastern’s first track and field meet of the indoor season.

Buckwalter tossed the shotput 49 feet, 7.75 inches at the EIU Early Bird, moving her into second all-time in school history.

In the weight throw, she threw to the 57’11.25” mark. The throw placed her at third all-time in program history as well.

“It feels good to start off well this early,” Buckwalter said of her early success. “Out of all the throwers, 15 out of 18 threw collegiate personal bests. It’s going to be a good season with a lot of people jumping onto the all-time lists.”

Buckwalter said preparation for the home opener began in the second week of the school year when she and the other throwers began lifting weights. She attributed her performance at the meet to the pre-season preparation.

Other than throwing personal bests, Buckwalter said another part of the meet that she enjoyed was cheering for her teammates.

“One of my favorite things about track meets is cheering for my teammates, whether it’s throwers, runners or jumpers. The best meets are the ones you lose your voice at,” Buckwalter said.

Buckwalter said she is following in the footsteps of former Eastern throwers Zane Chapman and Janie Howse. The two always wanted to get better and give every meet their all, and Buckwalter said she now has the common goal of being the best she can be.

Her parents have also been a constant inspiration throughout her track and field career because they taught her to compete with herself but also believe in herself, she said.

As for the rest of the season, Buckwalter said she has her eyes set on making it to the indoor and outdoor championships and earning record titles.

“I think it would be so cool to win them both this year,” Buckwalter said. “I’d like to break as many records as possible, but that’s not as important.”

Both the women and men’s teams earned third place at the meet with a combined 14 top-three finishes.

The Panthers continue their season on Jan. 13 with the Illinois Winter Invite.

Kaitlin Cordes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].