EIUPanthers Podcast

Welcome to episode 72 of EIUPanthers Podcast as thie week we visit with former EIU swimmer Nancy Williams.   Williams was a top free style sprint swimmer for the Panthers in the late 1990’s that still ranks in the EIU career top ten.  Her original career path took her to Texas and a job with State Farm.  Since that time she has followed a different passion opening up her own Cookie Company called Frosted.  Williams talks about her time at EIU, how she got involved in her current business and an interesting story about how her cookies got into the hands of one of EIU’s most famous alumni.

Welcome to episode 71 of EIUPanthers Podcast as this week we catch-up with former Eastern Illinois women’s basketball player Alece Shumpert.  Shumpert currently works for Nissan and talks about how a chance encounter during a car repair helped lead to her current career with the company.  In addition we talk to Shumpert about her playing days at EIU and what its like to watch her younger brother Will follow in her footsteps as a student-athlete at EIU.

Episode 70 of EIUPanthers Podcast as we visit with former Eastern Illinois running back Ron Jordan.  Jordan played football for the Panthers in the last 2000’s and talks about how those experiences as a member of the EIU football team helped shape him for career as an entrepreneur.   He currently runs Jordan Hospitality and was recently featured in Inside INdiana Business magazine about his franchise opportunities with the Donatos Pizza Restaurants.   We explore how several topics including how he got into the food business on today’s episode.

Episode 69 of EIUPanthers Podcast; this week we talk with EIU head baseball coach Jason Anderson as the Panthers prepare to open what will be his 7th season at the helm.   Over the past three seasons EIU has had four players drafted under Anderson’s watch including Trey Sweeney, a first round selection this past season.  Anderson talks about those players, the Panthers program and his own journey as a professional baseball player on this week’s episode.

Episode 68 of EIUPanthers Podcast.  The term go-getter might be an understatement when describing our guest this week as we talk with former Eastern Illinois football player Keithan Hedrick.  Hedrick earned his degree from EIU in three years while being a full-time student-athlete and guardian to two younger siblings.  He has since gone on to earn his law degree, start both a family and a company and this week he and his wife appear on an episode of Shark Tank to promote their new online product – Candi.  Hedrick catches us up on several things including what it was like to be a contestant on the show that airs on ABC this Friday, January 7.

Episode 67 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with former EIU cross country and track runner Caitlin Napoleoni who since her days at EIU has gone on to have a successful career working in the TV industry as a weather person.  We talk to her about how she became interested in that field, her memories of running cross country and track at Eastern Illinois and some news from her personal life which includes her husband working towards qualifying for his third Winter Olympic Games.

The early national signing day for football around the country took place recently and one of the newest Panthers is an Eastern Illinois football legacy as Carson Fichtel signed to play at EIU next fall.  On episode 66 of EIUPanthers Podcast our guest is Carson’s dad, Brad Fichtel a former EIU All-American lineman that played for a short while in the National Football League.  We talk to Brad about the pride he has in his son following in his footsteps at EIU, his time playing for the Panthers and the experiences that provided in a number of professional avenues.

Welcome to episode 65 of EIUPanthers Podcast as we visit with current EIU women’s basketball player Abby Wahl.  Wahl recently joined the 1,000 point club at Eastern Illinois and was named one of 30 candidates for the NCAA’s Senior Class Award.  We talk to Wahl about those two honors and what its like to be from the home town of Santa Claus, Indiana on this week’s episode.

Last week Eastern Illinois cross country runner Dustin Hatfield became just the third runner to qualify for the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships during the Panthers division I era.  Hatfield will compete this Saturday at the NCAA meet in Tallahassee, Florida.  On episode 64 of EIUPanthers Podcast we talk to him about the upcoming experience, his cross country journey and his love of both hunting and fishing when not on the cross country trails.

Basketball season is here as we continue our season preview on EIUPanthers Podcast as this week we bring you the Eastern Illinois men’s basketball press conference from this year’s Ohio Valley Conference Media Day.   Head coach Marty Simmons enters his first season with the Panthers returning just a handful of players including post player Sammy Friday IV, who also participated in this year’s event for EIU.  The 2021-22 season opens on Nov. 9 on the road as the Panthers travel to Northwestern.  EIU’s home opener is Nov. 15 against Central Michigan.