EIU Track & Field Continues To Build Roster

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Eastern Illinois director of track & field James Gildon has announced the addition of five athletes that will join the Panthers men’s and women’s programs for the upcoming season.  

The five new additions are Ayden Cothern, Ethan McBride, Tyler Miller, Kenyetietta Quinn and Mikaila Ek.  The five athletes span a variety of events.

Ayden Cothern (Olney, Ill.) competed one season at Greenville University after a high school career at Olney (Richland County) High School.  At Greenville competed in sprints running the 60 meter and 200 meter events indoors with the 100 meter and 200 meter dash outdoors.  During the indoor season he advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championships in the 60 dash and on the 4×200 meter relay team.  Cothern placed fifth in the 60 meter event and was part of the national championship 4×200 relay.  During the outdoor season he again reached the NCCAA National Championships running the 100 meter and 4×100 relay events.  He finished as a national champion in both events winning the 100 meter with a time 10.63 with the relay finals time of 41.50.  His best event times as a collegiate freshman were 6.91 in the indoor 60 meter, 10.56 in the 100 meter dash and 22.00 in the 200 meter (outdoor).  Cothern reached the IHSA Class 2A Track & Field State Championships in three events as a senior qualifying in the 100 meter, 4×100 relay and 4×200 relay.  During his senior indoor season he placed third in the 60 meter at the Illinois Top Times 2A meet.
 
Ethan McBride (Charleston, Ill.) competed in sprints and jumps at Charleston High School.  As a senior qualified for the IHSA Class 2A Track & Field State Championships in three events making trips in the 4×100 relay, long jump and triple jump.   He would place tenth in the state in both the long jump and triple jump with a long jump mark of 21’4.25″ and a triple jump of 43’7.25″.    McBride’s top long jump of the season was 21’8″ placing second at the Rantoul Sectional.   He placed first in the triple jump at Rantoul Sectional and posted a season best triple jump of 44’3.25″ winning the Apollo Conference Championship.  McBride is the grandson of former EIU All-American and US Olympic triple jumper John Craft.   He would place seventh in the long jump at the Illinois Top Times 2A Indoor Meet as a senior.
  
Tyler Miller (Westville, Ill.) competed in hurdles at Westville High School.  As a senior he was the silver medalist in the 300 meter hurdles at the IHSA Class 1A Track & Field State Championships with a finals time of 39.81.  He also advanced to the state championships in the 110 meter hurdles and as part of the 4×100 relay team.  Miller was second at the Catlin Salt Fork Sectional in the 110 hurdles and posted a season best event time of 15.57 at the Westville Invite.  During the indoor season he placed fifth in the 60 meter hurdles at the Illinois Top Times 1A meet.  As a junior Miller advanced to the state championships in both the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, he would place sixth in the state in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.29.
  
Kenyetietta Quinn (Columbus, Ohio) competed in both sprints and high jump at St. Francis De Sales High School.  She reached the Ohio D1 Track & Field State Championships in three events as a senior qualifying in the 200 meter dash, 4×100 relay and 4×200 relay.  She would then go on to compete at the adidas Outdoor Nationals in all three events.  Quinn ran the anchor leg on the 4×200 relay team that placed second at the Ohio Championships with a time of 1:39.36 and then placed second at the Outdoor Nationals with a time of 1:38.82.  Her season best 200 meter time was 24.69 at the District Championships.  Quinn made two additional trips to the Ohio state championships in the 4×100 relay as a sophomore and junior.  She anchored the state champion team as a junior with a finals time of 47.28.  She placed third in the state in the high jump as a sophomore clearing 5’6″.
  
Mikaila Ek (Berkeley Springs, WV) competed in the pole vault for two years at Hagerstown CC in Maryland after attending Berkeley Springs High School.   At the junior college level Ek was a multiple time All-American advancing to the NJCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in both seasons.  She placed fourth at the outdoor championships both seasons clearing 11’6.50 at the 2024 championship.  She placed third at the indoor national championship clearing 11’2.25″.  Ek’s collegiate best height was 11’7.75″ at the Hopkins Loyola Intercollegiate meet during her sophomore season.  As a senior in high school Ek was third in the state at the West Virginia Class AA Track & Field State Championships clearing a height of 9′.  She also ran as part of the school’s 4×200 relay team that reached the Region 1 championships. 



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Publish date : 2024-08-16 01:16:09

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