RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University sophomore Ann Eason ran the second-fastest women’s 5,000 meters time in school history on Friday night at the Stanford Invitational, finishing third in her heat in 16:06.98.
Eason’s time is currently the best in the Ohio Valley Conference, and it is less than two seconds off Sue Schafer’s school record of 16:05, set in 1978. The native of Lexington was named the Female Athlete of the OVC Indoor Championships in February after winning the mile and 3,000 meters and serving as the anchor on the winning distance medley relay team at that meet.
Eason was one of three Colonels who travelled to Stanford to compete in EKU’s outdoor opener and one of the premiere collegiate track and field events of the spring. Junior Wade Meddles, a cross country All-American in the fall, won his heat of the men’s 5,000 meters and recorded a personal-best time of 13:52.16 without being pushed. The time is the best in the OVC and the fourth-fastest in EKU history. Sophomore Ole Hesselbjerg, meanwhile, placed fifth in the fastest heat of the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase with an OVC-best mark of 8:51.14.
A majority of the EKU track and field team opened the outdoor season at the Cincinnati Oliver Nikoloff Open this weekend. Freshman Mads Taersboel highlighted the meet for the Colonels by winning the men’s 1,500 meters with an OVC-best time of 3:51.70 and finishing seventh in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:52.64, which is the currently the second-fastest in the OVC. Freshman Ben Turner also ran an OVC-best at the meet, finishing eighth in the men’s 10,000 meters with a time of 31:35.14. Sophomore Zack Hill and freshman Julie Mathisen delivered strong performances, as well. Hill continued his impressive season by finishing fourth in the men’s high jump with a personal-best leap of 6-8, which is second best in the conference, while Mathisen placed ninth in the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:42.91, which is also currently second-best in the conference.
EKU returns to action next weekend at a trio of meets, the Bellarmine Invitational, Centre College Invitational and Miami (Ohio) Invitational.
