YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University track & field programs will compete at the GVSU Big Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State, at the Kelly Family Sports Center, in Allendale, Mich., and the Tiger Paw Invitational, hosted by Clemson, at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex, in Clemson, S.C., Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15.
Fans can follow both meets using the live results link located on the EMU track & field schedule page here. A post-meet recap will be posted toEMUEagles.comwith official results attached. Be sure to stay tuned to EMU cross country/track & field social medias onInstagram,X, andFacebookat @EMUXC_TF Eastern track & field content.
Fans interested in accessing a full meet schedule, meet information, performance list, or heat sheet for the GVSU Big Meet can do so here. All information surrounding the Tiger Paw Invitational can be accessed here.
LAST TIME AT GVSU BIG MEET
Both Eagle teams last competed at the GVSU Big Meet in the 2022-23 season, Feb. 10. Eastern had four top-five finishes on the men's side, while Miranda Cadwell had a pair of top 10finishes to lead the women's team. The women posted five personal bests while the men had a trio of personal bests at the Big Meet.
LAST TIME AT TIGER PAW INVITATIONAL
The men's team was last at the Tiger Paw Invitational in the 2022-23 indoor season. Former Eagles Almighty Williamson and Yvan Lopes Ribeiro saw action in the 60m hurdles. The EMU women have not seen action at the meet since at least 1998.
LAST TIME OUT: AT MICHIGAN INVITATIONAL, FEB. 8
The two programs combined to set four marks that rank inside the MAC top three, while grabbing 38 personal bests, and landing four marks that rank inside the program top 10. On the women's side, Saraiah Walkes(Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy)soared in the 200m, placing third in 23.80, a mark that stands as the second fastest in program annals as well as the second best in the conference, Micah Martin(Clinton Township, Mich./L'Anse Creuse)placed first in the high jump, tying a personal best with a 1.75m (5-08.75) leap, a jump that ranks as the fourth best in indoor program history and second in the MAC this season, and Kyra Buffen(Columbus, Ga./Buford/Benedict)claimed first with a 12.20m (40-00.50) bound in the triple jump, one that currently serves as the third best in the MAC. For the men, Carson McCoy(Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) crossed the line in a PR 1:50.28 in the 800m, the best time in the MAC this season.
CARSON MCCOY MAC MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
McCoy earned the first conference athlete of the week award of his career after running a personal record and MAC-best 1:50.28 800m at the Michigan Invitational, Feb. 8. The award marked the Eagles third of the season as Lucky Fiaku (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) and Josephine Oloye (Iwaro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School/Tayelolu Memorial) previously earned the honor, Dec. 10. Fiaku earned men's field athlete of the week and Oloye grabbed women's track athlete of the week.
TOP CONFERENCE TIMES/MARKS: MEN
The EMU men currently own 23 marks that rank inside the conference top five.
EventName MarkRank
200m Bamidele Ajayi 21.67 4
800mCarson McCoy 1:50.28 1
800mLachlan Cornelius 1:52.74 4
800mJimmy Geller 1:52.92 5
MileKian Wiles 4:03.26 1
MileRonan Codyre 4:08.83 4
MileLachlan Cornelius 4:08.89 5
5000mSam Peterson 14:22.88 1
5000mKian Wiles 14:33.07 2
5000mRonan Codyre 14:56.02 5
60mH Leo Ignacio 8.25 4
60mH Matt McKnight 8.27 5
4x400m Roberts, Olanrewaju, Singh, Ajayi 3:18.39 4
High JumpLucky Fiaku 2.10m 1
High JumpOusman Kamara 2.05m 5
High Jump Brendan Hill 2.05m 5
Long JumpFormula Thompson 7.52m 1
Long JumpSamuel Jeffery 7.15m 3
Triple JumpFormula Thompson 15.07m 2
Weight ThrowJake McEachern 18.64m 2
HepSamuel Jeffery 4,924 2
HepCason Doolittle 4,427 4
HepJulien Badoo 4,152 5
TOP CONFERENCE TIMES/MARKS: WOMEN
The EMU women currently own 14 marks that rank inside the conference top five.
EventName MarkRank
60mSaraiah Walkes 7.46 1
200mSaraiah Walkes 23.80 2
200mJosephine Oloye 24.06 4
400mJosephine Oloye 54.68 4
400mSaraiah Walkes 54.79 5
800mChloie Musta 2:11.00 4
3000mMarta Moreno 9:18.92 4
5000mMarta Moreno 16:31.78 3
4x400m Walkes, Arscott, Biehl, Oloye 3:43.59 1
DMR Musta, Biehl, Emin, Henderson 11:52.52 2
High Jump Micah Martin 1.75m 2
Long JumpAlimot Alowonle 5.90m 5
Triple Jump Kyra Buffen 12.20m 3
Triple JumpMariia Yelanska 12.18m 4
USTFCCCA RANKINGS
Both the men's and women's teams are ranked as the best team in the MAC according to the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Regionally, the women check in as the ninth ranked team in the Great Lakes Region and the men slot 13th. Additionally, the Eastern women are the highest ranked non-power five team in the region.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS
The Eastern men rank in the top 25 nationally in the high jump, slotting 23rd.Fiakuholds the top high jump of the season from the men's team with a 2.10m (6-10.75) bounce.
The Eastern women rank 14th in the triple jump withBuffenpossessing the best jump, a 12.20m (40-00.50) mark. They also rank inside the top 25 nationally in the 5000m, as they slot 18th. Marta Moreno(Wassenaar, Netherlands/American School of The Hague) owns the squad's best 5000m in 16:31.78.
EMU WOMEN IN THE PROGRAM TOP-10
The Eastern women have set 11 program top 10 marks this season. Most recently, Walkes ran the program's second-fastest 200m in 23.80, Martin tied for the fourth-highest high jump with a 1.75m (5-08.75) bounce, Aleah Johnson(Botkins, Ohio/Botkins)now holds the sixth-best weight throw with a 16.95m (55-07.50) heave, and Oloye tied for the team's 10th-best 200m in 24.26.
EMU MEN IN THE PROGRAM TOP-10
Samuel Jeffery(Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley Secondary) raked in five heptathlon top 10 times at the Jet's Pizza Invitational, Jan. 31-Feb. 1,doing so in the 1000m run (No. 4 – 2:47.13), long jump (No. 5 – 6.81m), day one scoring (No. 5 – 2,825), day two scoring (No. 7 – 2,099), and high jump (No. 8 – 1.88m). Joining him with program top 10 heptathlon marks wasCason Doolittle(Findlay, Ohio/Liberty Benton), who set the heptathlon program record in the 1000m, finishing in 2:44.01, before recording the ninth-best 60m hurdles time in 8.76. FreshmanJulien Badoo(Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley)also wrote his name in the record book with the seventh-best heptathlon 1000m run in 2:54.10.
Previously Noted
AT JET'S PIZZA INVITATIONAL & MEYO INVITATIONAL, JAN. 31-FEB. 1
Freshman multi athleteShay Clemetson(Naples, Fla./Barron Collier)highlighted the Eagles' performances at the Jet's Pizza Invitational, hosted by Saginaw Valley State, as she wonthe pentathlon with 3,379 points.Jeffery placed second in the heptathlon for the men with4,924 points, the second best hep mark in the MAC this season.
Kian Wiles(Hull,England/St. Mary's College)andMoreno headlined the Eastern performances at the Meyo Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame.Wiles placed second out of 37 student athletes in the open mile in 4:03.26, a time that stands as the top in the MAC and a personal best while Moreno raced against elite competition in the 3000m final, finishing 11th out of 27 student athletes while shattering her previous personal best by nearly 27 seconds, finishing in9:18.92. Her time stands as fifth best in program history and the fourth fastest in the conference.
VS. BOB PARKS MEMORIAL, JAN. 25
The Eastern women's team led the day for the Eagles. It wonsix events andplacedin the top three 14 times whilelanding one mark inside the program top 10, and collected 13 collegiate personal records. The men had similar success, as they claimedfive events, tabbed 14 top-three finishes, and earned 17 PRs.
AT WOLVERINE INVITATIONAL, JAN. 11
Oloyehighlighted the EMU women's performances as she broke the program record in the 300m dash, tying for first in 38.05.Buffenjoined her with a first-place finish in the triple jump with an 11.79m (38-08.25) bound. For the men,Formula Thompson(St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska)placed first in the triple jump with a mark of 15.07m (49-05.50) while bothMcCoyandFiakuearned second-place outings. McCoy earned silver in the 600m dash in 1:19.25 while Fiaku collected his second consecutive second-place finish in the high jump, leaping 2.06m (6-09.00).
FIAKU AND OLOYE: MAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Nigeria natives Fiaku and Oloye were each named MAC Athletes of the Week, Dec. 10. Fiaku earned the honor for the first time after starting his collegiate career with a second-place 2.09m (6-10.25) performance in the high jump at the GVSU Holiday Open, Dec. 6. Furthermore, his second-place finish came with the first-place finisher, GVSU's Eli Kosiba, tying the NCAA Division II record with a 2.30m (7-06.50) leap.
Oloye also captured her first athlete of the week honors with a first-place outing in the 400m dash at the GVSU Holiday Open, Dec. 6. Oloye crossed the finish line in 54.68, a time that ranked as the third best in the MAC, 39th fastest in the NCAA, stands ninth in EMU program history, and marked a personal best for the sophomore.
AT GVSU HOLIDAY OPEN, DEC. 6
In a meet that had no team scoring, the women led the way as they posted 13 top-three finishes and set four marks that landed inside the program top 10, while the men notched four top-three finishes. In total, the Eagles recorded 52collegiate personal-best marks with the men setting 27 and the women 24.
DEFENDING THE CROWN
The Eagles' women's team captured its ninth MAC title at the 2024 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. It is looking to secure its 10th title in the 2025 indoor season. A victory at the MAC Indoor Championships would mark the first three-peat from the women's team in program history.
RETURNING MAC CHAMPS
The men return one former MAC Champion in Thompson. He won the long jump at the indoor championships with a 7.68m (25-02.50) jump and the triple jump at the outdoor championships, bounding 15.57m (51-01.00).
On the women's side, EMU returns former MAC championsBuffen, Walkes,andMarchant. Buffen won the triple jump at both the indoor and outdoor conference meetswith her best mark coming at the outdoor meet, leaping 12.64m (41-05.75). Walkes captured individual conference titles in the indoor season in the 200m dash (24.15) and the 60m dash (7.44). Marchant earned three individual championships at the MAC Indoor Championships, winning the 800m (2:10.26), mile (4:49.67), and 3000m (9:25.38). She also set the women's indoor mile record last season, finishing the race in 4:38.91, Feb. 10.Tijana Japundzic(Belgrade, Serbia/Technical School "New Belgrade"),Oloye,and Walkes also earned titles in the 4x400m relay, as they crossed the finish line in 3:44.74.
2024 MAC HONORS
Marchantwas named the MAC Women's Most Valuable Track Performer and Most Outstanding Track Performer in the indoor season. Now Associate Head Coach,Sue Parkswas named MAC Women's Coach of the Year while former Associate Head Coach and now Co-Director of Cross Country/Track & Field,Chris Best,earned Women's Assistant Coach of the Year after the indoor championships.
ALL-MAC RETURNERS – INDOOR SEASON
Eastern returns 11 All-MAC honorees from the indoor season.
Women's All-MAC Returners
Kyra Buffen
Tijana Japundzic
Paige Marchant
Josephine Oloye
Saraiah Walkes
Men's All-MAC Returners
Formula Thompson
Shelton Bass
Eric Haddock Jr.
Brendan Hill
Tajay Roberts
Gabe Singh
ALL-MAC RETURNERS – OUTDOOR SEASON
The Eagles return seven All-MAC athletes from the outdoor season.
Women's All-MAC Returners
Kyra Buffen
Paige Marchant
Saraiah Walkes
Josephine Oloye
Men's All-MAC Returners
Formula Thompson
Gabe Singh
Jake McEachern
NEW COACHES
The Eagles have adjusted their coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.Chris BestandSterling Robertshave been promoted to Directors of Cross Country/Track & Field. Best will take on the head coaching duties for the women's team while Roberts will do so for the men's.Sue Parksopted to return to hands-on coaching duties and will serve as an Associate Head Coach while still acting as the Head Women's Cross Country Coach. Eastern added two newcomers to the coaching staff inAustin Whitelaw(distance) andNia Henderson(throws). Whitelaw comes to Ypsilanti after most recently serving as an assistant track & field/cross country coach as well as recruiting coordinator for the University of Connecticut (2022-24). Henderson brings five years of NAIA coaching experience with her as she oversaw nine NAIA All-Americans at nearby Madonna University. She was also named Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Eastern throwerMcEachernexcelled at the Canadian U20 track & field championships. He won the hammer throw (67.32m – 220-10), shotput (15.93m – 52-03.16), and discus (49.22m – 161-05) events at the Canadian U20 Track & Field Championships. Joining him in competing nationally wasThompson, who saw action at the Jamaican Olympic Trials in the long and triple jump.Kayenn Mabin(Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central)also earned himself a spot at the USA U20 Track & Field Championships in the 110-meter hurdles.
UP NEXT
The Eagle will conclude the regular season portion of their indoor schedule at the Silverston Invitational, hosted by Michigan, at the U-M Indoor Track Building, in Ann Arbor, Friday, Feb. 21.
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For updates on all things EMU cross country/track & field, continue to checkEMUEagles.comor follow the team onInstagram,X, andFacebookat @EMUXC_TF.
