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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University track and field programs will pursue respective Mid-American Conference (MAC) outdoor championships as the Eagles are set to begin postseason competition at the 2025 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Ohio University, at Goldsberry Track, in Athens, Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17.

Fans can access live results, heat sheets, a meet schedule, and both the men’s and women’s respective MAC Outdoor Record Books using the MAC Championship Central Page. Those looking to attend the meet can purchase tickets here and access further meet information, including a parking guide here.

The meet will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 15, 11 a.m. Friday, May 16, and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17, followed by the award ceremony at 5 p.m.

Also, stay posted to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with final results attached and follow EMU cross country/track & field social media on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @EMUXC_TF for more track & field content. 

 

EMU MEN AT MAC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The EMU men aim to secure their 25th MAC outdoor championship and their first since the 2018 campaign. That season, Eastern dominated its competition as it scored 184.50 points, nearly 20 points more than the second-place finisher, Akron (166). Hlynur Andresson was named Most Valuable Performer after capturing individual titles in the 5,000m run, 3,000m steeplechase, and 10,000m run.

Legendary Men’s Head Coach John Goodridge was tabbed Coach of the Year for the seventh and final time of his EMU tenure, and the Eagles earned five All-MAC First Team honors, two second team selections, and captured the Men’s Track Freshman of the Year award with then-freshman Tyler Johnson securing the accolade.

 

The Eastern men hold the most MAC outdoor titles all-time as they post 24, six more than the 18 held by Western Michigan, who no longer has a men’s track & field program yet remains second all-time. Eastern holds nine meet records, including eight individual events plus the 4x400m relay record (3:07.66 – 1989). It also owns the largest margin of victory as the 1984 team posted 99 points more than the runner-up.

 

Individually, the EMU men hold 29 MAC Outdoor Championships Most Valuable Performer awards, including Almighty Williamson‘s from last season after breaking a meet record in the 110m hurdles in 13.53. They also compile 20 coach of the year distinctions, 11 most outstanding performance honors, five freshman performer of the year accolades, with former Eagle Ryan Johnson grabbing the praise last season after winning the hammer throw with a 65.17m (213-09) heave, and three assistant coach of the year decorations. ­­

 

EMU WOMEN AT MAC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Eastern women are seeking their 13th MAC Outdoor Championship and first since 2016 as they became the first women’s team in MAC history to win the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field title that season. Overall, they join the men with the most outdoor titles in the conference as they boast 12, including winning seven consecutive from 1987-93, the most consecutive outdoor conference championships in MAC history. The Eagles own two MAC Outdoor Championships event records with Alsu Bogdanova setting the most recent one as she ran a 16:09.13 5000m at the 2018 rendition of the meet. Like the men, the women too own the largest margin of victory, winning by 74 points in 1988.

 

Individually, the Eastern women have captured 12 MAC Outdoor Championships Most Value Performers awards, seven coach of the year awards, six most outstanding performances honors, and one freshman performer of the year accolade.

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT HILLSDALE LAST CHANCE, MAY 7

For the men, Olawole Olanrewaju (Akoko North-West, Nigeria/Wallas Universal Secondary School/Lenoir-Rhyne) earned his spot at the top of the MAC, tying for the best 400m dash time in the conference with a personal-best 46.85. Senior Gabe Singh (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Northview/Oakland) claimed a new PR of 47.25, placing fourth during the race. Freshman Michael Hawkins (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical/Michigan State) also grabbed a PR, placing 12th with a time of 49.14. Olanrewaju’s time tied Bamidele Ajayi (Eikiti State, Nigeria Metropolitan International College Lenoir-Rhyne) for first place in the MAC. Additionally, three of the top four 400m times in the conference now belong to the Eagles.

 

Senior Formula Thompson (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska) placed third in the triple jump with a 14.65m (48-00.80) leap, setting a new season-best for the four-year senior that ranks him third in the MAC.

 

Hawkins punched his way into second with a 52.35 PR in the 400m hurdles. This ranks him in the top three in the MAC along with Singh in first place (50.62).

 

A season-best was made during the hammer throw as sophomore Jake McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) finished third with a 63.20m (207-04.20) toss.

Freshman Ajah Arscott (Plantation, Fla./Taravella) highlighted the performances for the Eastern women as she placed first in both the 100m dash prelims (11.72) and 200m dash (23.52). Both times marked collegiate personal-bests and rank inside the MAC top six, led by her 200m time that stands third in the conference and fifth in EMU program history.

 

Josephine Oloye (Iwaro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School/Tayelolu Memorial) had a strong performance in the 400m dash, placing first in an outdoor season-best 54.03, a time that stands fourth in the conference.

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT LEN PADDOCK OPEN, MAY 9

For the women, Erica King (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette Township) placed third in the javelin throw with a personal-best 42.17m (138-04) mark that ranks her fourth in the conference and improves her program top-10 standing to sixth all-time. Lena Korte (Clinton, Mich./Clinton/Concordia) and Elise Gregory (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) set season-bests as Korte finished fourth throwing 44.72m (113-11) and Gregory slotted fifth with a 28.27m (92-09) sling.

 

Freshman Shamoya Clemetson (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) won the 100m hurdles in a career-standard 13.76 that ranks fourth in the MAC. Nikol Antoniadi (Didimoticho, Greece/Geniko Lykeio Didimotichou) placed fourth in the event (14.36) while Maleah Scott (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) grabbed a season-best, finishing in 15.77.

 

In the men’s competition, McEachern placed third in the hammer throw with his second season-best toss of the week in the event as he threw the hammer 63.50m (208-04), a mark that ranks second in the conference. Drew Knieper (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion/Hope College) grabbed a 48.24m (158-03) PR in the event.

 

Hawkins turned in his third PR of the week with a 14.33 run in the 110m hurdles, placing sixth. His time ranks third in the MAC.

 

Eastern posted strong performances in the 1500m run as four out of the five Eagles in the event ran a season or personal-best time. Ty Dailey (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) placed third in a season-best 3:58.0, Donovan Johnson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) slotted fifth in a PR 3:59.89, along with Aaron Schwieterman (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) in sixth in a personal-best 4:01.14. Isaac Garcia (Greely, Col./South County) rounded-out the group with a 4:14.38 PR.

TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: MEN

The men currently hold 25 marks that rank inside the MAC top five and eight that slot first in the conference. The Eagles earned four conference top-five marks at the Hillsdale College Last Chance, May 7, and Len Paddock Open, May 9. Olanrewaju tied Ajayi for the fastest 400m in the MAC, running the distance in 46.85. Singh ran the conference’s fourth-fastest 400m in 47.25. Carson McCoy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) notched a 4:49.22 1500m time that stands fourth in the MAC, and Thompson bounded 14.65m (48-00.80) in the triple jump, a mark that ranks third in the conference.

 

Event              Name                                                    Mark                Rank

400m               Bamidele Ajayi                                       46.85                T1

400m               Olawole Olanrewaju                              46.85                 T1

400m               Gabe Singh                                             47.25               4

800m               Lachlan Cornelius                                  1:48.38             1

800m               Kian Wiles                                              1:48.77             2

800m               Carson McCoy                                       1:49.90             4

1500m             Kian Wiles                                              3:40.73             1

1500m             Lachlan Cornelius                                  3:49.22             4

1500m             Carson McCoy                                       3:49.22             4

5000m             Ronan Codyre                                       14:24.03            5     

10000m           Joey Furlong                                          30:47.08           4

110mH            Michael Hawkins                                    14.33                3

400mH            Gabe Singh                                            50.62                1

400mH            Michael Hawkins                                    52.35                3

4x100m           Ajayi, King, Bass, Gage                         41.07                4

4x400m           Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, Singh         3:07.35             1

HJ                    Brendan Hill                                           2.12m               1

HJ                    Lucky Fiaku                                           2.12m                 1

LJ                    Formula Thompson                               7.34m                3

TJ                    Formula Thompson                             14.65m            3

TJ                    Eric Haddock Jr.                                    14.44m              5

HT                   Jake McEachern                                    63.50m             2

JT                    Samuel Jeffery                                      53.33m                5

DEC                Samuel Jeffery                                     6641 Pts             4

DEC                Cason Doolittle                                    5614 Pts             5

 

TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: WOMEN

The Eastern women hold 13 marks that rank inside the MAC top five and three that slot first in the conference. The Eagles earned three conference top-five marks at the Hillsdale College Last Chance, May 7, and Len Paddock Open, May 9. In Hillsdale, Arscott ran a 23.52 200m dash, good for third in the MAC while Oloye ran the conferences’ fourth-fastest 400m in 54.03. At the Len Paddock Open, King set another PR in the javelin throw with a 42.17m (138-04) toss that stands fourth in the MAC.

 

Event              Name                                                    Mark                Rank

100m               Saraiah Walkes                                     11.61                2

200m               Saraiah Walkes                                     23.30                1

200m               Ajah Arscott                                         23.52               3

400m               Saraiah Walkes                                     52.88                1

400m               Josephine Oloye                                  54.03               4

800m               Chloie Musta                                        2:08.08              4

5000m             Marta Moreno                                        16:12.80           5

10000m           Sofia Ivanko                                           35:13:83          5

100mH            Shamoya Clemetson                              13.76               4

4x100mH         Walkes, Arscott, Alowonle, Garraway    46.07              5

4x400m            Walkes, Arscott, Oloye, Henderson        3:39.06          1

TJ                    Kyra Buffen                                            12.60m            4

JT                    Erica King                                            42.17m            4

 

USTFCCCA RANKINGS

Both the men’s and women’s programs are ranked in the conference and regional standings by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association of America (USTFCCCA) in the sixth Track & Field Rating Index of the season, released May 6.

The women rank second in the MAC with a score of 650.09 and stand 12th in the region, posting a rating of 201.88, improving one spot in the conference rankings and two in the regional from the fifth checkpoint (April 29). The Eastern men remain in the No. 3 spot in the MAC for a third consecutive week with a score of 1165.88 and stand as the 11th-best team in the Great Lakes Region with a score of 330.69, moving up two spots from the fifth checkpoint.

 

USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: MEN

The Eastern men check into the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings in 12 events and rank inside the top 25 in the 400m hurdles, led by Singh with a time of 50.62, a time that serves as a MAC-best and checks into both the East Qualifying and National Top-50 List. Just outside of the top-25 at No. 26 is the high jump squad, led by Brendan Hill (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) and Lucky Fiaku‘s (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) 2.12m bounces, also ranking on East Qualifying List.

 

USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: WOMEN

The Eastern women are also ranked in 12 events by the USTFCCCA, including a 16th ranked triple jump squad led by Kyra Buffen (Columbus, Ga./Buford/Benedict), with a distance of 12.60m (41-04.25), one that ranks on the East Qualifying List  

 

EAST QUALIFYING LIST

Eastern Michigan has a total of six student-athletes on the East Qualifying List. For the men, Singh holds the highest spot, standing 17th with a 50.62 400m hurdles time. Hill and Fiaku each slot 26th on the list in the high jump with a 2.12m (6-11.50) bounce. McEachern’s 63.50m (208-04) checks in at No. 32. Kian Wiles‘ (Hull, England/St. Mary’s College) 3:40.73 1500m ranks 42nd, and Samuel Jeffery (Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley Secondary) ranks 45th in the decathlon with a score of 6,641 points.

 

For the women, Saraiah Walkes (Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy) owns two times on the list, with her highest ranking coming in the 400m as she slots 36th with a time of 52.88. She also stands 43rd on the list in the 200m (23.30). Buffen checks in at No. 46 on the leaderboards with a 12.60m (41-04.25) triple jump. 

 

PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: MEN

The men most recently posted four top-10 marks at the Jesse Owens Classic and Duke Twilight, May 2-4. Singh had the highest mark on the top-10 leaderboards as he bettered his program No. 3 400m hurdles time to 50.62. At the Duke Twilight, Wiles topped his 1500m PR by nearly three seconds, finishing in 3:40.73 and moving up to fourth on the all-time list, while Hill and Fiaku’s 2.12m (06-11.50) high jumps tie for the eighth-best on the program ledgers and are the highest jump from an Eagle since 2009. Overall, the men have set 23 program top-10 marks in the outdoor campaign.

 

PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: WOMEN

The Eastern women most recently grabbed two program top 10 marks at the Hillsdale College Last Chance, May 7, and Len Paddock Open, May 9. Arscott made her first mark on the list as her 23.52 200m ranks her fifth all-time while King’s 42.17m (138-04) javelin throw at the Len Paddock Open moved her up to sixth in program annals. Overall, the women’s team has set 23 program top-10 marks in the outdoor season.  

 

UP NEXT

Qualifying Eagles will compete at the 2025 NCAA East Prelims hosted by the University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, Wednesday-Saturday, May 28-31.

 

FOLLOW US

For updates on all things EMU cross country/track & field, continue to check EMUEagles.com or follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @EMUXC_TF.

 

Previously Noted

SINGH TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK X2

Singh was recently tabbed MAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after bettering his conference-best 400m hurdles time to 50.62 seconds, finishing first at the Jesse Owens Classic, hosted by Ohio State University, May 2-3.  His time ranks second in the Great Lakes Region, 17th on the East Qualifying List, 36th in the nation, and third in EMU program history. He cruised to a first-place finish by a wide margin as he finished .51 seconds ahead of the runner-up (51.13) for his first win in the event this season. Singh bested five other MAC student-athletes in the race and finished ahead of two Power Four student-athletes. He posted the fastest time in the region, sixth-best time on the East Qualifying List, and 14th-fastest time in the nation over the weekend.

 

The honor marks the second of the season for Singh as he previously garnered the accolade after running what was then a conference-best 400m hurdles mark of 50.67 seconds, placing third at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M University, April 11–12.

The award is Eastern Michigan’s fourth of the outdoor season and brings the team’s total to seven on the 2024-25 campaign as Lachlan Cornelius (Brisbane, Australia/Anglican Church Grammar School) most recently earned the award, April 29, before Singh and Walkes each earned it, April 15, prior to Fiaku (field) and Oloye (track) garnering the award in the indoor season, Dec. 10, and McCoy (track) earning the recognition, Feb. 11.

 

SINGH’S HISTORIC RUN IN 400M HURDLES

Singh’s run in the 400m hurdles this season is approaching historic levels as he is just .72 seconds shy of tying for the MAC record (49.90) set by Central Michigan University’s Al Washington in 1988, .54 seconds away from tying for the EMU program record, held by Jeff Dils (1979), and .16 seconds from tying former Eagle and Olympian Eric Alejandro (Rio de Janeiro – 2016) for the second-best time in program history (50.51 – 2008).

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT JESSE OWENS CLASSIC, MAY 2-3

For the men, Hill and Fiaku set the top high jump mark in the MAC with jumps of 2.12m (06-11.50), good for eighth in program history while marking the first edit to the event’s top-10 list since former Eagle Xavier Clais posted a 2.14m (07-01.25 – Program No. 4) jump in the 2009 season. Singh bettered his conference-best time in the 400m hurdles, placing first in 50.62.

 

On the women’s side, freshman Ashtan Winfrey (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric Early College) put on a show in the long jump in front of a hometown crowd, leaping 5.83m (19-01.50) for the best mark of the meet, a personal-best, and the eighth-best jump in the MAC this season. Also finishing in the top 10 for the long jump was Nene Garner (Powell, Ohio/Thomas Worthington), who jumped a personal-best 5.48m (17-11.75), as well as Clemetson, who finished with a 5.30m (17-04.75) mark.

 

Due to poor weather in Columbus, multiple events were not completed, including the 110m hurdles, 200m dash, 400m dash, discus throw, triple jump, and 4x100m relay.

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT DUKE TWILIGHT, MAY 4

For the men, Wiles improved his MAC-leading time in the 1500m run by nearly three seconds, finishing 12th in 3:40.73,  jumping the distance runner to fourth in EMU laurels. Cornelius finished sixth in the 800m run with a 1:49.62.

 

On the women’s side, senior Chloie Musta (Mesick, Mich./Cadillac) had a strong showing in the 800m run, finishing 12th out of 38 runners in a career-best 2:08.08, placing her third in the MAC this season and sixth in EMU history.

 

Marta Moreno (Wassenaar, Netherlands/American School of The Hague) saw action in the 5000m, placing 27th in 16:51.44.

LACHLAN CORNELIUS NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK  

Cornelius was named Men’s MAC Track Athlete of the Week, April 29, for his performance at the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State. 

 

Cornelius placed first in 800m invitational in a MAC-best and personal standard 1:48.38, his time is the fastest by an Eastern student-athlete since Eastern Michigan legend and former United States Olympian (1996 – Atlanta) Paul McMullen ran the distance in 1:46.48 in 1995, the second-fastest time in program history while Cornelius’ mark stands eighth on the program leaderboards.

 

Cornelius’ time topped his previous conference-best mark (1:49.25) by nearly one full second as his time currently ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 43rd on the East Qualifying List.

 

AT HILLSDALE TUNE-UP, APRIL 26 

The 1500m was a strong race for the Eagles, led by AJ Hawkins‘ (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) first-place finish in a personal-best 4:06.2, all four Eagles set career-best marks in the race including Schwieterman’s 4:03.03 that earned him third place.

 

King earned a win in the javelin throw for the second time in her collegiate career as she set a personal-best with a 41.17m (135-01) toss, a mark that stands fifth in the MAC, seventh in program history, and 12th in the Great Lakes Region. Clemetson earned a career-best in the event with a 30.21m (99-01) mark, just one of her three PRs on the day as she also set new standards in the 200m (seventh – 25.79) and the 100m hurdles (first – 13.78). Her 100m hurdles time stands third in the MAC and 14th in the region.  

 

AT GVSU EXTRA WEEKEND, APRIL 26

Wiles followed in second in the 800m in a career-best 1:48.77 that ranks him second in the conference behind Cornelius.

 

Cornelius’ time ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 42nd on the East Qualifying List. For Wiles, his time stands ninth in the region. 

 

Anna Bathellier (Ile d’Yeu, France/College Les Sicardieres) and Cora Henderson (Courtice, Ontario/Courtice Secondary) each competed in the 800m invitational. Bathellier placed sixth in 2:14.43 while Henderson finished closely behind in seventh in an outdoor season-best 2:14.55.

AT WAKE FOREST INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18

Musta ran a MAC-best 800m, finishing seventh out of 63 competitors in a personal best 2:08.50. Her time ranks seventh in program history and improved her top-10 standing by three spots from 10th to seventh. Cornelius placed third out of 73 in the 800m in a MAC-best and personal-best 1:49.25, a time that also ranks ninth in the Great Lakes Region. 

 

AT GEORGIA TECH INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18-19

Walkes placed second out of 85 student-athletes in the 100m dash in a season-best 11.61. Her time stands as the fastest in the MAC this season and 11th in the Great Lakes Region. Arscott turned in a strong showing in the same race with a 12th-place finish in 11.92. For the second straight week, the 4x400m relay team of Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, and Singh ran a MAC-best time as they bettered their previous conference-best (3:08.39) by 1.04 seconds, placing first out of 29 teams in 3:07.35. Their time stands third in the Great Lakes Region and 36th on the East Qualifying List.

 

Walkes continued to lead a 4x400m squad of herself, Arscott, Oloye, and Demetria Henderson (Tampa, Fla./Freedom), to a third-place outing out of 27 teams in a MAC-best 3:39.06, a time that also ranks as the ninth-fastest in program laurels and is the first edit to the program top-10 list since 2018. Furthermore, the time ranks fourth in the Great Lakes Region. 

 

AT  ELAINE LEIGH INVITATIONAL, APRIL 19

Liv Hatch (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) placed first out of 14 competitors in the 3000m steeplechase in a personal-best 11:44.23. Her time was over 12 seconds faster than the second-place finisher (11:56.65) at the Elaine Leigh Invite. 

 

AT 44 FARMS TEAM INVITATIONAL AND CHIPPEWA CHALLENGE: APRIL 11-13

Walkes and Singh both finished with Mid-American Conference-best times to highlight the Eastern Michigan University track and field teams action at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M University, at E.B. Cushing Stadium.

 

At the Chippewa Challenge, hosted by Central Michigan University, April 12, freshman Mia Biehl (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) set a personal best in the 400m dash with a 58.42 mark, placing fourth in the event. Senior Nyla Joseph-Guevara (Coral Springs, Fla./Fort Lauderdale) placed second in the long jump with a leap of 5.40m (17-08.75), and Brent finished second in the hammer throw with a 52.42m (172-0.0) mark.

 

SINGH AND WALKES NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETES OF THE WEEK  

Track athletes Singh and Walkes were named Men’s and Women’s MAC Track Athlete of the Week, respectively, April 15, for their performances at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, Friday-Saturday, April 11-12.

 

Singh placed third in the 400m hurdles out of 32 competitors in 50.67. His time stands as the best in the MAC and the Great Lakes Region, while standing eighth on the East Qualifying List, and 15th in the country. Furthermore, Singh’s time stands as the best in the MAC by 2.56 seconds, the fastest in the region by 1.1 seconds, and third in program laurels. Additionally, he was the highest finisher from a group of five schools in the event.

 

Singh went on to anchor a 4x400m relay team that finished sixth out of 16 teams in a MAC-best 3:08.39, a time that stands over two seconds faster than the second-fastest time in the conference. The mark also stands as the second fastest in the region, and 33rd on the East Qualifying List.

 

Walkes ran two MAC-best times, personal bests, and program/Great Lakes Region top-three marks. She placed seventh out of 66 in the 200m dash in 23.30, and fifth out of 39 in the 400m in 52.88 at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, April 11–12. Walkes’ 400m time stands as the fastest in the Great Lakes Region while her 200m mark ranks third. Both times rank inside the top 25 on the East Qualifying List as well, with her 400m mark standing 19th, and her 200m time ranking 25th. Nationally, Walkes ranks 31st in the 400m and 49th in the 200m. Moreover, she was the highest finisher from a group of five school in each of her races.  

 

AT SPARTAN INVITATIONAL: APRIL 4

The Eastern Michigan track and field teams turned in a total of 21 personal bests and 17 top-three finishes while in action at the nearby Spartan Invitational, hosted by Michigan State, at Ralph Young Field Friday, April 4. 13 Eagles on the women’s side turned in career highs in their respective events, with Korte throwing a personal best 47.76m (156-08) in the hammer throw while Cara Weber (Union, Ky./Larry A. Ryle) placed first in the unseeded 1500m run with a personal best time of 4:56.63. Overall, the women earned eight top-three finishes. On the men’s side, 11 Eagles set personal bests to go with nine top-three showings, Joey Furlong (Deer Park, Ill./Barrington) ran the MAC’s second-best 5000m time in 14:51.98. 

 

AT TEXAS RELAYS, BOBCAT INVITATIONAL, AND RALEIGH RELAYS: MARCH 27-29

The Eastern women posted two top-three finishes while the two programs combined for 12 personal-best marks, with the men posting eight and the women grabbing four, and five program top-10 marks as the women earned three and the men secured two.

 

RETURNING MAC CHAMPS – OUTDOOR SEASON

The Eagles return Buffen and Thompson who both won the triple jump at the 2024 MAC Outdoor Championships. Buffen won the event with a 12.64m (05.75) bound, a mark that stands as the fourth-best in program history. She also became the first Eastern woman to win the event at the outdoor championships since 1999.

 

Thompson became the first EMU male jumper to win the triple jump at the outdoor championships since United States Olympian Donald Scott did so in the 2015 campaign, as Thompson claimed gold with a 15.57m (51-01.00) jump, a mark that sits sixth in the program top-10 leaderboards.

 

ALL-MAC RETURNERS – OUTDOOR SEASON

The Eagles return seven All-MAC athletes from the outdoor season.

 

Women’s All-MAC Returners

Kyra Buffen – First Team

Paige Marchant – Second Team

Saraiah Walkes – Second Team

Josephine Oloye – Second Team

 

Men’s All-MAC Returners

Formula Thompson  – First Team

Gabe Singh – Second Team

Jake McEachern – Second Team

 

NCAA EAST PRELIMS RETURNERS

The men’s squad returns three student-athletes who qualified for the 2024 NCAA East Prelims in Thompson, who punched his ticket in the triple jump, Mabin, who earned his entry in the 110m hurdles, and McEachern who qualified in the hammer throw.

 

The women return Buffen, who saw action in the triple jump after winning an individual MAC title in the event and Anita Zaro (Timirsoara, Romania/Faculty of Physical Education and Sport) who ran in the 3000m steeplechase.

 

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

McEachern won the hammer throw (67.32m – 220-10), shot put (15.93m – 52-03.16), and discus (49.22m – 161-05) events at the Canadian U20 Track & Field Championships. Joining him in competing nationally was Thompson, who saw action at the Jamaican Olympic Trials in the long and triple jump. Mabin also earned himself a spot at the USA U20 Track & Field Championships in the 110m hurdles.

 

2024 MAC OUTDOORS FINISH

The Eastern women placed second with 126.5 points while the men slotted third with 121 points. The women’s second-place finish at the meet marked its 11th straight season doing so while the men’s marked the 12th consecutive year it has finished inside the top-three. Kent State claimed the women’s title with 137.5 points and Akron won the men’s, scoring 189.

 

NEW COACHES

The Eagles have adjusted their coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Chris Best and Sterling Roberts have 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 Parks opted 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 in Austin Whitelaw (distance) and Nia 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.

 

By: Don Rebel


Monday, May 12, 2025 | 10:41 PM

Welcome to the first round of the WPIAL baseball playoffs with opening-round contests set for Class A, 2A and 3A.

Two district baseball teams are going for a three-peat this spring: Bishop Canevin in Class A and Seton LaSalle in 3A.

The Rebels captured back-to-back gold in 2A but moved up in class this spring.

If Seton LaSalle were to capture a third straight championship, it would do so in shocking fashion.

The Rebels are the No. 14 seed in the 18-team bracket, a longshot to even reach the final four, yet alone raise gold.

Seton LaSalle finished tied for second place with Charleroi in Section 4-3A with an overall record of 10-6. The Rebels have won a season-high five games in a row.

They’ll face a stiff challenge from No. 3 Ellwood City.

The Wolverines finished in second place in Section 1-3A with a final record of 14-5.

Ellwood City ended up in second, only one game behind Riverside, with a victory over the Panthers earlier this spring. The Wolverines had a six-game winning streak snapped with a season-finale loss to Montour.

The teams meet under the lights at 7 p.m. at North Allegheny.

Elsewhere in the seven other opening-round 3A games:

• Top-seeded Riverside (13-2) looks to avoid the major upset when it faces preliminary round winner Shady Side Academy (8-13) at Seneca Valley at 6 p.m.

• No. 8 Burrell (12-8) faces No. 9 Charleroi (10-6) at Gateway at 3 p.m.

• No. 4 Waynesburg (15-3) plays No. 13 Freeport (13-6) at Gateway at 5:30 p.m.

• No. 12 Mt. Pleasant (11-6) challenges South Park (12-6) at Gateway at 8 p.m.

• Defending 3A champion and No. 2 Avonworth goes up against pigtail game winner No. 15 Keystone Oaks (9-9) at Fox Chapel at 4:30 p.m.

• No. 7 Quaker Valley (12-6) battles No. 10 Ligonier Valley (10-7) at Fox Chapel at 2 p.m.

• No. 6 Deer Lakes (9-6) squares off with No. 11 Mohawk (10-9) at North Allegheny at 4 p.m.

Beaver County proud

There are three Beaver County teams in action in the first round of the Class 2A baseball playoffs Tuesday and two of them go head to head.

No. 7 South Side will face No. 10 New Brighton at Matulevic Field in Shaler at 4:30 p.m.

The Rams finished 10-6 this season and tied for second place in Section 3-2A with Riverview, two games behind section winner Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

South Side finished the season strong, winning four of its last five games.

The Lions ended the campaign with a record of 9-8 and finished tied for fourth place in a tough Section 1-2A.

New Brighton enters the playoffs on a three-game losing skid, having scored a total of three runs in those losses.

The two were scheduled to play each other in a nonsection game last month, but it was postponed due to weather.

Here are the other four first-round 2A games:

• The other Beaver County team is No. 8 Freedom (11-8), which will take on No. 9 Apollo-Ridge (8-6) at Plum at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 4 Shenango (14-5) will face No. 13 Chartiers-Houston (7-9) at Burkett Park in Robinson Township at 4 p.m.

• No. 5 Fort Cherry (13-5) goes up against No. 12 Laurel (8-10) at Matulevic Field in Shaler at 2 p.m.

• No. 6 Riverview (12-6) will battle No. 11 California (8-9) at Norwin at 4:30 p.m.

No bye for you

It was a bit of a mystery when the baseball brackets came out Friday and there were three first-round byes, none of which went to the defending two-time champions.

As mentioned, Bishop Canevin is trying to win three district crowns in a row this postseason.

The Crusaders finished in a tie with Serra Catholic and Eden Christian for the Section 3-A title, yet when the brackets came out, Serra, Eden and Leechburg were awarded the three byes.

Bishop Canevin is the No. 4 seed and must play in the opening round against No. 13 Rochester at Burkett Park in Robinson Township at 6:30 p.m.

The Crusaders are 10-6 overall and have won five of their last seven games.

The Rams are 9-7 after finishing tied for fourth place with Union in Section 2-A. They have won three straight and also have been victorious in five of their last seven games.

Here are the other four Class A opening-round contests:

• No. 8 Jefferson-Morgan (13-3) will face No. 9 Winchester Thurston (11-6) at Norwin at 2 p.m. It is the first baseball playoff game for the Bears program.

• No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic (15-2) faces No. 12 Sewickley Academy (5-12) at Plum at 5 p.m.

• No. 7 Western Beaver (14-4) battles No. 10 Avella (10-7) at the Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair at 3 p.m.

• No. 6 Carmichaels (12-4) looks to eliminate No. 11 Union (7-9) at the Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair at 5:30 p.m.

Celebrate the Deer

Ten years ago, the Deer Lakes softball team captured its second WPIAL championship in four years.

The Lancers celebrate that anniversary beginning a quest for the program’s third district title.

The first step is Tuesday with a Class 3A first-round contest against Charleroi at Norwin at 5 p.m.

The Lancers lost their first five games, fell in their final three contests and ended up going 7-13 as they finished tied for third place in Section 1-3A.

The Cougars, meanwhile, won five of their last seven games to finish in third place in Section 3-3A with an overall record of 9-8.

The winner will advance to the 3A quarterfinals to face top seed and undefeated South Park.

In the other three 3A opening-round softball contests:

• No. 5 Mt. Pleasant (12-5) goes up against No. 12 Keystone Oaks (8-8) at Waynesburg University at 5 p.m.

• No. 7 Southmoreland (9-7) will battle No. 10 Hopewell (11-7) at Trinity at 7 p.m.

• No. 6 McGuffey (10-5) will take on No. 11 Ligonier Valley (5-10) at West Mifflin at 5 p.m.

Houston, we have a problem

Some might feel that the Apollo-Ridge softball team is fresh for the postseason.

Others might be concerned that the Vikings risk being rusty.

In a span of 16 days from April 28-May 13, the Vikings will have played one game, a 7-5 loss to Highlands on May 8.

The Vikings won their final three Section 2-2A games via forfeit.

Now, No. 8 Apollo-Ridge begins the postseason as the section runner-up when it plays No. 9 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-6) at Fox Chapel at 3 p.m.

The Chargers finished tied for second place in Section 3-2A with Seton LaSalle.

OLSH lost its last two regular season games to finish 9-6 overall.

Elsewhere in a full slate of Class 2A softball openers:

• Top seed and three-time defending champion Neshannock (18-0) will play No. 16 Burgettstown (7-9) at North Allegheny at 3 p.m.

• No. 4 Frazier (13-3) will be challenged by No. 12 Shenango (10-8) at Fox Chapel at 5 p.m.

• No. 5 South Allegheny (14-3) goes up against 2024 runner-up Bentworth (8-9) at West Mifflin at 3 p.m.

• No. 2 Chartiers-Houston (17-1) faces No. 15 Brentwood (6-8) at Pleasant Valley Elementary in Peters Township at 4 p.m.

• No. 10 Brownsville (11-5) battles No. 7 Seton LaSalle (10-5) at Trinity at 5 p.m.

• No. 3 Laurel (14-4) squares off with No. 14 Northgate (10-7) at North Allegheny at 7 p.m.

• No. 11 Riverside (7-8) tries to upset No. 6 Waynesburg Central (11-6) at North Allegheny at 5 p.m.

37 and counting

One of the longest current playoff streaks in WPIAL sports is the Leechburg softball team.

By finishing in a three way tie for third place in Section 3-A, the Blue Devils qualified for the softball playoffs for a 38th consecutive season.

Leechburg was .500 overall during the regular season with an 8-8 record.

As the No. 11 seed, Leechburg will play No. 6 South Side in the first round of the Class A playoffs at Montour at 5 p.m.

While the Blue Devils lost three of their last four, the Rams were hot down the stretch, winning five consecutive games to finish tied for second place in Section 1-A with Sewickley Academy, three games behind top seed Union.

South Side enters the game with a 10-7 record.

The winner will play No. 3 West Greene in the upcoming quarterfinals.

Here are the other four Class A first-round contests:

• No. 8 Jeannette (12-4) battles No. 9 Avella (5-10) at Pleasant Valley ES in Peters Township at 6 p.m.

• No 4. Sewickley Academy (10-5) goes up against No. 13 Monessen (6-8) at Norwin at 3 p.m.

• No. 12 Greensburg Central Catholic (6-6) tries to pull off the surprise of No. 5 Jefferson-Morgan (8-6) at Waynesburg University at 3 p.m.

• No. 7 Serra Catholic (12-5) goes up against No. 10 Cornell (7-7) at Montour at 3 p.m.

Hardcourt lid lifters

There are 10 WPIAL first-round boys volleyball playoff matches set for Tuesday where weather is no issue.

Class 3A has 14 teams in the bracket with top-seeded North Allegheny and No. 2 Seneca Valley enjoying opening-round byes.

Here are the six first-round matches that all begin at 7 p.m.

• No. 8 Mt. Lebanon (13-1) hosts No. 9 Gateway (10-2) in a battle of section champions

• No. 4 Hempfield (11-4) welcomes No. 13 Upper St. Clair (5-8)

• No. 12 Baldwin (6-10) visits No. 5 Pine-Richland (9-5)

• No. 7 Canon-McMillan (14-2) is home to No. 10 Central Catholic (9-8)

• No. 3 Latrobe (15-1) welcomes No. 14 North Hills (8-9)

• No. 11 Peters Township (7-11) travels to No. 6 Penn-Trafford (10-6)

In Class 2A, the top four seeds all earned first-round byes.

So in the opening round, No. 1 Shaler, No. 2 Ambridge, No. 3 Seton LaSalle and No. 4 North Catholic will be spectators waiting to see who they will play in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Here are the four opening-round contests with each game set for a 7 p.m. start.

• No. 9 Hopewell (9-8) visits No. 8 Derry (11-6)

• No. 5 South Fayette (13-4) will host No. 12 McKeesport (8-8)

• No. 10 Deer Lakes (10-5) travels to No. 7 Thomas Jefferson (9-6)

• No. 6 Mars (8-10) is home to No. 11 South Park (8-8)

Day Two of the lax postseason

Rain or shine, the first round of the district lacrosse playoffs for girls Class 3A and boys Class 2A begins Tuesday.

Each bracket has 12 teams with four first-round byes.

In girls 3A, the top four teams already into the second round are No. 1 Pine-Richland, No. 2 Upper St. Clair, No. 3 Mt. Lebanon and No. 4 Moon.

The four 3A girls first-round matches are all set to start at 7 p.m.

• No. 9 Bethel Park (10-6) visits No. 8 Shady Side Academy (6-8)

• No. 5 Fox Chapel (10-5) welcomes No. 12 Norwin (7-9)

• No. 7 Penn-Trafford (12-6) hosts No. 10 Butler (8-6)

• No. 11 North Allegheny (4-12) travels to No. 6 Peters Township (13-5)

In boys 2A, the top four teams headed to the quarterfinals are No. 1 South Fayette, No. 2 Mars, No. 3 Hampton and No. 4 Peters Township.

The four 2A boys first-round matches are all set to start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated:

• No. 9 Indiana (8-8) is on the road to face No. 8 Franklin Regional (9-8)

• No. 5 Sewickley Academy (10-2) is home to No. 12 Chartiers Valley (6-10) at 6 p.m.

• No. 7 Bethel Park (11-7) hosts No. 10 Quaker Valley (9-4)

• No. 11 Shaler (10-6) will visit No. 6 Penn-Trafford (12-6)