Eastern Michigan Athletics
Olds-Marshall-Parks Track
The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics officially opened the new outdoor track and field complex Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
An exciting addition to the homecoming weekend, the ribbon cutting ceremony was celebrated with attendance from student-athletes and alumni of the cross country and track and field programs.
The construction of the new track was a part of the second phase of the Championship Building Plan for EMU Athletics, with the help of a $2 million gift from former EMU cross country/track & field student-athletes, Dan McClory and Keith Moore, who were four-year teammates under legendary Head Coach Bob Parks.
Other generous donations that helped enable the project include a $1 million commitment from EMU football alum Maxx Crosby, and his wife, former EMU soccer student-athlete, Rachel, along with a $2.5 million gift from EMU Regent Emeritus Phil Incarnati.
A Dream Turned into Reality
Opening the new track and field complex accomplished a long-awaited goal of so many involved, as Scott Wetherbee, the Vice President/Director of Athletics at EMU, explained. "Today has been a long time in the making. Since my arrival in 2017, I have always wanted to give our track and field program the facility they deserve. No more sharing with other teams, they now have their own state of the art facility."
"The track itself will continue to be called Olds-Marshall-Parks track, while we are still working with our lead gift donors on the name of the complex," added Wetherbee.
History
The original track/stadium was constructed in 1969 to replace Briggs Field as the home of football and track at EMU. The track itself was called Olds-Marshall Track, Coach Parks' name was added to become known as the Olds-Marshall-Parks Track just over 10 years ago, during the football game versus Old Dominion University.
The Namesakes
Lloyd W. Olds: A long-serving faculty member, coach, and athletic director at EMU, he was instrumental in developing the intramural athletics program.
George Marshall: Olds' assistant coach who took over the track program. Under his leadership, EMU won state titles in 1947 and 1948, and the New York Times rated the team as the best in the nation in 1947 and 1951.
Bob Parks: A former EMU athlete who coached the track team for 34 years. He won 26 Mid-American Conference "Coach of the Year" awards and led his teams to 45 MAC titles.
What They're Saying
Sue Parks, Associate Head Coach for Women's Track and Field and Head Women's Cross Country Coach, expressed her appreciation and excitement for what the new track means for the future of the programs. "I am very grateful to everyone involved in the construction of this amazing new facility. The finished product is more beautiful than I ever imagined, and it will be a great place for our student-athletes to pursue their goals with renewed energy," said Parks. "A huge thank you to everyone at Eastern Michigan who supported this project. I am especially grateful for my former EMU teammates, [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore, who have supported me personally along with being incredibly loyal to our track & field/cross country programs."
Coach Parks announced this summer that the 2025-26 season will be her final as an EMU coach. She holds 16 Mid-American Conference "Coach of the Year" awards and led 18 teams to conference titles. "This new track will go a long way towards better serving our deserving student-athletes," added Parks as she looks forward to the future of the program.
Co-Directors of EMU Track and Field Christ Best, Head Coach of Women's Track and Field, and Sterling Roberts, Head Coach of Men's Track and Field, also spoke on their gratitude and admiration for the new facility and their teams.
"I would like to thank President Smith, the Board of Regents, [Scott] Wetherbee, and the rest of the athletic department for their continued support of the Track & Field program at Eastern Michigan," said Best. "Along with that this wouldn't be possible without the amazing support of our alums. Special thank you to [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore for their continued support. To have a facility of this magnitude speaks volumes on how much the university values our track program's legacy and continued tradition of graduating champions on and off the track. We now have in my opinion the best facility in the conference to train and compete on."
"I've witnessed many iterations for our facilities throughout my time here as an athlete and a coach. Our new track & field facilities are simply extraordinary," said Roberts. "It's hard to put into words how thankful we are for the support of President Smith and the Board of Regents, the efforts of AD [Scott] Wetherbee, and the generosity of our amazing alumni, especially [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore. This facility will be so incredibly impactful in our ability to offer our current and future student-athletes the experience and the opportunities they deserve as they strive to make their own mark in this historic program."
An exciting addition to the homecoming weekend, the ribbon cutting ceremony was celebrated with attendance from student-athletes and alumni of the cross country and track and field programs.
The construction of the new track was a part of the second phase of the Championship Building Plan for EMU Athletics, with the help of a $2 million gift from former EMU cross country/track & field student-athletes, Dan McClory and Keith Moore, who were four-year teammates under legendary Head Coach Bob Parks.
Other generous donations that helped enable the project include a $1 million commitment from EMU football alum Maxx Crosby, and his wife, former EMU soccer student-athlete, Rachel, along with a $2.5 million gift from EMU Regent Emeritus Phil Incarnati.
A Dream Turned into Reality
Opening the new track and field complex accomplished a long-awaited goal of so many involved, as Scott Wetherbee, the Vice President/Director of Athletics at EMU, explained. "Today has been a long time in the making. Since my arrival in 2017, I have always wanted to give our track and field program the facility they deserve. No more sharing with other teams, they now have their own state of the art facility."
"The track itself will continue to be called Olds-Marshall-Parks track, while we are still working with our lead gift donors on the name of the complex," added Wetherbee.
History
The original track/stadium was constructed in 1969 to replace Briggs Field as the home of football and track at EMU. The track itself was called Olds-Marshall Track, Coach Parks' name was added to become known as the Olds-Marshall-Parks Track just over 10 years ago, during the football game versus Old Dominion University.
The Namesakes
Lloyd W. Olds: A long-serving faculty member, coach, and athletic director at EMU, he was instrumental in developing the intramural athletics program.
George Marshall: Olds' assistant coach who took over the track program. Under his leadership, EMU won state titles in 1947 and 1948, and the New York Times rated the team as the best in the nation in 1947 and 1951.
Bob Parks: A former EMU athlete who coached the track team for 34 years. He won 26 Mid-American Conference "Coach of the Year" awards and led his teams to 45 MAC titles.
What They're Saying
Sue Parks, Associate Head Coach for Women's Track and Field and Head Women's Cross Country Coach, expressed her appreciation and excitement for what the new track means for the future of the programs. "I am very grateful to everyone involved in the construction of this amazing new facility. The finished product is more beautiful than I ever imagined, and it will be a great place for our student-athletes to pursue their goals with renewed energy," said Parks. "A huge thank you to everyone at Eastern Michigan who supported this project. I am especially grateful for my former EMU teammates, [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore, who have supported me personally along with being incredibly loyal to our track & field/cross country programs."
Coach Parks announced this summer that the 2025-26 season will be her final as an EMU coach. She holds 16 Mid-American Conference "Coach of the Year" awards and led 18 teams to conference titles. "This new track will go a long way towards better serving our deserving student-athletes," added Parks as she looks forward to the future of the program.
Co-Directors of EMU Track and Field Christ Best, Head Coach of Women's Track and Field, and Sterling Roberts, Head Coach of Men's Track and Field, also spoke on their gratitude and admiration for the new facility and their teams.
"I would like to thank President Smith, the Board of Regents, [Scott] Wetherbee, and the rest of the athletic department for their continued support of the Track & Field program at Eastern Michigan," said Best. "Along with that this wouldn't be possible without the amazing support of our alums. Special thank you to [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore for their continued support. To have a facility of this magnitude speaks volumes on how much the university values our track program's legacy and continued tradition of graduating champions on and off the track. We now have in my opinion the best facility in the conference to train and compete on."
"I've witnessed many iterations for our facilities throughout my time here as an athlete and a coach. Our new track & field facilities are simply extraordinary," said Roberts. "It's hard to put into words how thankful we are for the support of President Smith and the Board of Regents, the efforts of AD [Scott] Wetherbee, and the generosity of our amazing alumni, especially [Dan] McClory and [Keith] Moore. This facility will be so incredibly impactful in our ability to offer our current and future student-athletes the experience and the opportunities they deserve as they strive to make their own mark in this historic program."
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