Eastern Illinois University Men's Track

Sommerfeld serves as the Panthers throws coach. In her first six seasons at EIU Sommerfeld has coached 13 OVC champions and seven athletes that have advanced to the NCAA Regional during the outdoor season. The Panthers have swept both the mens and womens indoor and outdoor conference championships in four of the six seasons with Sommerfeld on the staff. During the 2014 season Sommerfeld coached a young group that consisted of nine underclassmen competitors.  That group posted six marks that ranked in the EIU career top ten during the indoor and outdoor seasons. During the 2012 season her throwers posted eight marks that landed in the EIU career top ten after her group posted 12 marks that landed in the EIU career top ten list in 2011. In 2010 Sommerfeld coached EIU thrower Kandace Arnold as she set five EIU records for throws and was named the OVC Female Athlete of the Year. Arnold would place 8th in the shot put at the NCAA Regional becoming the first EIU female track athlete to advance to the NCAA National Championships. Arnold would finish 16th in the nation. Prior to coming to EIU she worked four seasons at South Dakota State University where she coached throwing events for the Jackrabbits. Sommerfeld coached several Independent champions in throwing events as SDSU made the transition from the NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I level. The team competed as a member of the Summit League in 2008 finishing second in both the indoor and outdoor championships. Among her coaching accomplishments at SDSU were coaching four regional qualifiers in the shot put and discus. Sommerfelds throwers established school records in the mens javelin, mens hammer and womens hammer for outdoor track while setting new marks for mens and womens weight throw indoors. Her athletes hold a combined 18 top five marks for throwing events. She coached Sara Ackman to the USATF Junior Nationals in the discus where Ackman earned Junior All-American honors. Sommerfeld also coached at TCU for two seasons helping the Horned Frogs win the 2003 Conference USA mens outdoor title and 2004 C-USA womens indoor crown. She coached former high school standout Zelma Wade to a qualifying mark for the Junior National Meet held in College Station, Texas. A former Western Athletic Conference champion in the shot put, Sommerfeld competed at Rice University winning the schools Joyce Pounds Hardy Award for top student-athlete in 2001. She swept the indoor and outdoor shot put titles in 2000 and 2001 while also scoring points in the javelin and discus. A native of Lisbon, N.D., she earned her undergraduate degree at Rice in 2001 before transferring to work on her masters degree at Arkansas.  Sommerfeld completed her masters in 2002. While at Arkansas she set the school record in the javelin qualifying for the USA Championships. She also placed second in the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in the shot put. While in high school, Sommerfeld was a three time state champion and state record holder in the shot put. In 1997 she was a junior national All-American. 

Butler worked as a graduate assistant with the cross country team and track teams during his first season before joining the staff full time in 2010. Butler helps coach the cross country team and distance runners. Eastern Illinois again posted a strong season with its cross country teams and distance crew in 2015-16.  Both EIU squads placed second in the OVC Cross Country Championships with two athletes for both the men and women earning All-OVC honors.  Riley McInernery would go on to place 24th at the NCAA Regional to earn All-Region honors.  That success continued into the track season as the EIU men won the OVC Indoor Championship with the EIU women taking home the women's OVC Outdoor crown.  During the indoor and outdoor seasons fifteen athletes posted times that ranked in the EIU career top ten.  Six athletes earned first or second team All-OVC honors in distance events during the OVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Panthers once again challenged for the OVC cross country title on the women's side placing second in the conference in 2014.  Maria Baldwin was named the OVC Freshman of the Year as she was one of three Panthers that earned All-OVC honors in cross country.  Sophomore Emily Brelsfoard excelled during the season setting the school record for the 6K distance in cross country.  During the cross country season EIU had eight times that landed in the women's top 20 at the 6K distance and three top ten times in the women's 5K distance.  On the track Howarth coached the distance crew as they helped the EIU women win the OVC Indoor Track Championship and EIU men win the OVC Outdoor Track Championship.  The Panthers had 11 women post marks in the career top ten during the indoor season with Jordan Wallace setting the school record in the indoor 3K.   During the outdoor season the EIU women posted nine career top ten EIU marks.  On the mens side Riley McInerney posted an indoor mile time that landed in the EIU top ten while Joe Calio posted a career top ten mark in the steeplechase.  Saddled with a young women's squad of distance runners in 2013 helped lead the women's team to a third place finish in the OVC Championships as the eight scorer runners were comprised of all freshmen and sophomores. During the season EIU runners posted top ten times in the women's 5K, women's 6K and men's 10K distances. He coached two runners to second team All-OVC honors with Riley McInerney for the men and Victoria Quarton for the women both placing in the top 14 at the league meet. During the 2014 track season Butler helped coach the distance runners as they posted 11 marks in the school top ten on the men's and women's side. ,Freshman runner Emily Brelsfoard set the school record in the outdoor 10K. In 2012 Butler helped EIU distance runners again improve upon their times. The men's team placed second in the OVC Championships while the women placed third. Two individual runners (Bryce Basting and Britney Whitehead) both placed 37th at the NCAA Regional meet for the men and women., Six athletes earned All-OVC honors with four on the first team (two men and two women). During the track season, Butler helped the distance crew post several personal bests with Whitehead setting the school record in the 1500m and steeplechase. In 2011 Butler helped coach the Panthers to one of their most successful seasons as the EIU womens team won the OVC Championship and the men placed second., During the season several athletes set new personal records., The Panthers again posted several personal records in 2012 as EIU finished second at the OVC Championships for the men and third for the women. Six athletes earned All-Conference honors with four first team honorees., Bryce Basting posted a top ten EIU mark in the mens 8K while Olivia Klaus and Britney Whitehead posted the second and third fastest 5K times in EIU history. In 2010 Butler helped coach the Panthers as they set several new school marks including the Panthers lowest point total in school history at the OVC Championships as the EIU women placed second with 45 points. Five members of that team earned All-OVC honors with Olivia Klaus and Gabriela Duenas as first team all conference performers. On the mens side Bradley LaRocque earned first team All-OVC honors giving EIU six All-Conference selections. The women placed the highest at the NCAA Regional championships since 2005; while the men had the entire team run personal bests at the NCAA Regional meet. As a prep athlete Butler ran for his dad at Monticello High School in Illinois., Butler was a first-team All-OVC selection in track winning the 10,000 meters as a sophomore in 2006 and as a senior in 2009. As a junior he won the indoor 5k. Butler was also a multiple all-conference selection in cross country and distance races while at EIU graduating in 2009. He earned his masters degree from EIU in sports administration in 2009 as well.

Howarth coaches the middle distance and distance runners for the EIU track program where she has helped that group set several school records. Eastern Illinois again posted a strong season with its cross country teams and distance crew under Howarth's leadership in 2015-16.  Both EIU squads placed second in the OVC Cross Country Championships with two athletes for both the men and women earning All-OVC honors.  Riley McInernery would go on to place 24th at the NCAA Regional to earn All-Region honors.  That success continued into the track season as the EIU men won the OVC Indoor Championship with the EIU women taking home the women's OVC Outdoor crown.  During the indoor and outdoor seasons fifteen athletes posted times that ranked in the EIU career top ten.  Six athletes earned first or second team All-OVC honors in distance events during the OVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Panthers once again challenged for the OVC cross country title in on the women's side placing second in the conference at the 2014 OVC meet.  Maria Baldwin was named the OVC Freshman of the Year as she was one of three Panthers that earned All-OVC honors in cross country.  Sophomore Emily Brelsfoard excelled during the season setting the school record for the 6K distance in cross country.  During the cross country season Howarth's team had eight times that landed in the women's top 20 at the 6K distance and three top ten times in the women's 5K distance.  On the track Howarth coached the distance crew as they helped the EIU women win the OVC Indoor Track Championship and EIU men win the OVC Outdoor Track Championship.  The Panthers had 11 women post marks in the career top ten during the indoor season with Jordan Wallace setting the school record in the indoor 3K.   During the outdoor season the EIU women posted nine career top ten EIU marks.  On the mens side Riley McInerney posted an indoor mile time that landed in the EIU top ten while Joe Calio posted a career top ten mark in the steeplechase.  Saddled with a young women's squad of distance runners in 2013 Howarth may have turned in one of the best coaching jobs of her career leading the women's team to a third place finish in the OVC Championships as the eight scorer runners were comprised of all freshmen and sophomores. During the season her runners posted top ten times in the women's 5K, women's 6K and men's 10K distances. She coached two runners to second team All-OVC honors with Riley McInerney for the men and Victoria Quarton for the women both placing in the top 14 at the league meet. During the 2014 track season Howarth coached the distance runners as they posted 11 marks in the school top ten on the men's and women's side. Freshman runner Emily Brelsfoard set the school record in the outdoor 10K.  The 2014 track season had Howarth coaching ten All-OVC performers with three individual event champions.  Pablo Ramirez was the indoor men's 5K champion while Emily Brelsfoard was the women's indoor 5K champion.  During the outdoor season Brelsfoard set the school record in the 10K while winning that event at the OVC Championships.  EIU posted 16 top ten performances between the two seasons combined with four freshmen records being set. In 2012 Howarth again had the Panthers competing at the top of the OVC as the men placed second and the women third at the OVC Championships. Six athletes earned first team All-OVC honors with four first team honorees. During the season several athletes improved their personal bests while EIU posted several top ten marks in the EIU record book., Bryce Basting ran the 8th best 8K in school history while Olivia Klaus and Britney Whitehead posted the second and third fastest 5K times in school history. Basting and Whitehead would go on to finish 37th at the NCAA Regional, the highest finish for an EIU individual in several years. ,During the 2013 track season Howarth helped several athletes post personal bests with Britney Whitehead setting the school record in the 1500m and steeplechase. Whitehead along with senior Erika Ramos (800m) both advanced to compete in the NCAA West Regional.  During the 2013 track season Howarth coached 14 All-OVC performers with five individual event champions.  Senior runner Britney Whitehead won the indoor women's 5K, the women's outdoor 1500m and the women's steeplechase.  Whitehead also set school records in three events (indoor 3K, indoor mile, steeplechase).  The Panthers under Howarth set two school distance relay records in the 4x800 and outdoor DMR.  A total of 18 performances landed in the EIU career top ten while Whitehead and Ramirez advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Regional. In 2011 Howarth coached the Panthers to one of their most successful seasons as the EIU swept the running triple crown with a cross country, indoor track and outdoor track conference title. In cross country the team won only its second OVC title as five athletes earned All-OVC honors with the team scoring a record 27 points. The Panthers would go on to place 18th in the NCAA Regional with junior Erika Ramos placing 49th. Ramos would set the school record in 6K while several athletes set personal records. On the mens side EIU placed second in the OVC with four athletes earning All-OVC honors. Senior Brad LaRocque posted a school top twenty time during the year as he placed 50th at the NCAA Regional.  During the 2012 track season EIU swept the men's and women's steeplechase events at the OVC Outdoor Championships under Howarth's direction as Britney Whitehead and Graham Morris set school records in the events en route to NCAA Regional appearances.  Morris won the men's steeplechase event at the Drake Relays as well.  The Panthers posted 22 top ten marks in distance events during the indoor and outdoor campaign. In her first season with EIU the Panthers set several new school marks including the Panthers lowest point total in school history at the OVC Championships as the EIU women placed second with 45 points. Five members of that team earned All-OVC honors with Olivia Klaus and Gabriela Duenas as first team all conference performers. On the mens side Bradley LaRocque earned first team All-OVC honors giving EIU six All-Conference selections. The women placed the highest at the NCAA Regional championships since 2005; while the men had the entire team run personal bests at the NCAA Regional meet. Howarth spent three years working in a similar position at New Mexico where she helped coach six All-American runners during her tenure with the Lobos. In 2008 she helped guide the womens cross country program to the Mountain West Conference Championship. The team would place second in the NCAA Mountain Region Championships and place 18th at the NCAA Championships. In 2009 both the mens and the womens cross country teams won the Mountain West Conference Championship and went on to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. The women placed 13th in the country. Prior to her time at New Mexico Howarth worked as an assistant coach at Butler helping coach two All-American distance runners. During her two years she helped the Bulldogs capture back-to-back Horizon League cross country championships and saw 3 teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. A native of New Lenox, Ill., the former Erin Kelly was a distance runner at Butler from 1996-99 earning her degree in 2000.  Howarth recently completed a masters in sports adminstration from Eastern Illinois in 2014.  She was a four-time first team All-Horizon League selection in cross country and upon graduation held the school record in the outdoor 5,000 meters. Her husband Paul is a marathoner. The couple have two children.

Akers has created one of the most dominant programs in the Ohio Valley Conference across any sport.   Since Eastern Illinois joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 1996-97, the Panthers mens track and field programs have won an unprecedented 30 OVC titles.   The Panthers have 15 indoor track titles (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and 15 outdoor titles (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015).  In 2009 he took over duties as the womens track head coach leading the Panthers to four straight OVC Womens Indoor and Outdoor titles from 2009-12.  The women added one additional outdoor title in 2013 and returned to the top of the podium with an indoor championship in 2015.  Akers has been named the OVC Coach of the Year a total of 39 times.  Akers is the director of the Panthers track and field/cross country programs while serving as the head coach for both the mens and womens track and field programs. He currently coaches middle distance, hurdles, jumps, pole vault and sprints as his specialty area but has coached every event area during his long coaching career.  He served as the interim head coach in spring of 1995 before being named head coach for the 1996 season. During his first two seasons EIU competed in the Mid-Continent Conference sweeping the indoor and outdoor championships both seasons.  He was promoted to Director of Track/Field and Cross Country in 2002. During his tenure as head coach, EIU has had nine Division I first team All-Americans and a total of 19 All-Americans (first, second and honorable mention honors).  At the OVC level EIU has won more than 200 individual OVC conference champions with 24 OVC Athletes of the Year, seven OVC Freshmen of the Year and seven OVC Championship MVPs. One of the 24 OVC Athletes of the Year was Zye Boey who posted one of the most decorated seasons in school history under Akers tutelage.  Boey earned first team All-American honors in the 200m dash at the NCAA Indoor National Championships.  He would later earn All-American honors at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in 100m and 200m sprints.  In the summer of 2012 Boey competed at the US Olympic Trials in both events.  Boey finished his career with a grand total of five All-American honors, five OVC Track Athlete of the Year honors, five OVC Championship MVP awards and OVC Freshman of the Year honors. From 1983-90, Akers was an EIU assistant coach when the Panthers won six indoor/outdoor Mid-Continent Conference championships. He was responsible for recruiting and coaching EIUs first NCAA Division I National Champion, Jim Maton from Shelbyville, who was a four time NCAA All-American in 1987-88. Maton won the 800 meter run (1:49.3) at the 1988 NCAA indoor championship. A multiple Mid-Continent Conference champion and league Athlete of the Year, Maton holds most school records in the middle distance events. Akers also recruited Dan Steele from Sherrard High School. He was a two time Division I All-American and national champion in the 400 hurdles in 1992. His twin brother, Darrin, was an All-American decathlete in 1992. Both were members of the USA Olympic Bobsled Team that competed in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and then Dan was a member of the Bronze Medal winning bobsled team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.  As the program director, EIU has added nine first team All-American honors with the most recent coming by Peter Geraghty in the outdoor pole vault in 2014.  Jade Riebold earned All-American honors in the womens pole vault placed second in the nation at the 2013 indoor national championships and third at the 2014 outdoor national championships.  Mick Viken earned first team All-American honors in the 2013 indoor pole vault.  Boey was a first team All-American in the 200m indoor meet in 2011.  Ron White posted outdoor All-American honors in the javelin in 2000 and 2002.  Gabe Spezia was a two-time All-American in the indoor hurdles in 1999 and 2000. In 2009 EIU climbed as high as No. 33 in the Indoor National rankings as senior David Holm and freshman Zye Boey both advanced to the NCAA Indoor National Championships.  In terms of records EIU athletes have set 19 men's and 22 women's school records during Akers tenure as head coach. From 1990-94, Akers was a member of the department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of Arizona. During his tenure there, he served as the assistant track coach at Palo Verde High School in 1992, and then started the boys/girls track program at Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson. Akers received his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1979. While there he was a two-time co-captain and set school and conference records in the 110 and 400 meter hurdles. His conference record in the 110 stood for 17 years until broken in 1996. An eight-time national qualifier, he earned 1979 All-American honors in the 400 hurdles. He and his wife, Joelyn, have two sons, Clayton and Blake.