Coming off a successful meet at home the last weekend, the Eastern men’s and women’s track and field team will head on another road-trip to Illinois Saturday.

This is going to be the second time the team competes at Illinois in the indoor season, and will not return until mid-way through the outdoor season.

This meet begins another series of competitions on the road for the team, and the next time they will compete at home will be the EIU Friday Night Special Feb. 16.

Both the men and women hit their stride at least weekend’s home meet as both teams finished in first place and had a combined 10 first place finishes between them. The team will look to carry that momentum to Illinois and both new additions and veteran athletes compete at a top level.

The last time Eastern competed at Illinois senior high jumper Haleigh Knapp broke her own Eastern indoor high jump record. She broke her previous record of 5-feet-11.75 with a jump of 6 feet She also finished first in the high jump the next week at the EIU John Craft Invite.

The team has certainly shaken off the rust that plagued them in the first meet of the season, and the new additions to the team have filled their roles well. Graduate student Ryan Pearce finished first in shotput at the John Craft Invite and fellow Eastern thrower junior Clayton Turner finishd right behind him in second place.

Some distance team runners earned a first place finish last week as well as the foursome of freshmen Chloe Irish and Avani Flanagan, sophomore Louisa Rieger, and senior Maria Baldwin earned first in the distance medley.

Eastern’s track and field team will compete at U of I’s “Armory” field with the field events starting at 10 a.m.

Alex Hartman can be reached at 581-2812 or

[email protected]