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Track and Field

 SIUE Track and Field
SIUE Athletics
Cougar Ruler

February 21, 2005

2005 Indoor Performance List

Relays Lift Cougar Track and Field
        With the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Championships set for Saturday in Crawfordsville, Ind., the SIUE men's track and field team hopes to defend last year's crown.
        The Cougars' final meet before the GLVC Championships was an impressive showing at the Eastern Illinois Friday Night Meet in Charleston.
        Three individuals and two relays set provisional qulifying marks.
        Lee Weeden (Ferguson, Mo.) threw the shot put 52 feet, 10.75 inches and equalled his previous best in the weight throw at 60-3.75. Ben Willard (Manito) moved onto the NCAA provisional list with a throw of 55-11.75. Anthony Weber (Marengo) tied his previous best in the pole vault at 15-5.75.
        "Ben has come along way since he first got to SIUE, and I am very excited about his future," said SIUE Coach David David Astrauskas. "He works very hard and it is nice to see his name included with other elite Division II throwers."
        The men's distance medley relay and the 1,600-meter relay broke into the national qualifying list with their performances at the EIU Friday Night Meet.
        Ryan Boyll (Normal), Wes Smith (Bloomington), Cody Ellermeyer (DuQuoin) and Brian Taghon (East Moline) boasted a time of 10 minutes, 19.66 seconds in the distance relay. Kyle Rose (Kankakee), Jonathan Bannister (Plano, Texas), Ryan Nowakowski (Rochester), and Jeff Fearday (Teutopolis) ran the 1,600-meter relay in 3:17.00, breaking the school record in the process.
        "It was great to see the men's 4 X 400 meter team run such a great race," said Coach Ben Beyers. "We've been aiming at that school record and the national qualifying time ever since I began coaching here."
        Ellermeyer also posted a win in the 800 meters as an individual.
        "Cody ran a solid race," said Beyers. "I think this could be a springboard for bigger things down the road."
        Erik Steffens (Moline) turned in a winning performance at 3,000 meters.
        "Erik got his first collegiate win on only his second 3,000-meter race. He stayed mentally tough throughout the race and made some excellent strategic moves in the last 400 meters," said SIUE assistant coach Eileen McAllister.
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