Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, December 5
Bob Parks Track
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Holiday Meet
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Women's Track and Field Set to Lift Lid on 2014-15 Campaign at Home
12/4/2014 4:54:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
EMU will host the Eagle Holiday Meet
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's women's track and field team is geared up for an early season meet to open the 2014-15 campaign, hosting the Eagle Holiday Meet Friday, Dec. 5.
The meet will serve as the Green and White's only competition to close out the 2014 calendar year before the team rings in the new year by hosting the EMU Triangular, Jan. 9, 2015. Friday's competition will feature athletes from Mid-American Conference foes Bowling Green and Toledo as well as in-state rivals Oakland and Michigan. The meet will kick off with the weight throw at 4 p.m. inside Bowen Field House.
Schedule of Events
4:00 p.m. Weight Throw
4:30 p.m. Long Jump, High Jump
5:00 p.m. Pole Vault, Shot Put
5:30 p.m. Triple Jump
6:00 p.m. 5000m
6:25 p.m. 60m Hurdles
6:35 p.m. Mile Run
6:45 p.m. 60m Dash
6:55 p.m. 400m Dash
7:05 p.m. 800m Run
7:15 p.m. 200m Dash
7:25 p.m. 3000m Run
7:40 p.m. Throwers/Field Event 800m Relay
7:45 p.m. 1600m Relay
Following the EMU Triangular, the Eagles will remain in the Great Lakes State for the month of January. The Green and White will make the short trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Simmons Invitational, Jan. 17, hosted by Michigan. Following a two-week break, the squad will head up to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for a triangular meet with MAC rivals Central Michigan and Western Michigan, hosted by the Chippewas.
From there, the competition will step up as the Eagles will take on the large fields at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7 in South Bend, Ind., and the SPIRE Invitational, Feb. 13-14 in Geneva, Ohio. The team will return to U-M once more for a tune-up meet at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, before heading back to Mount Pleasant for the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 27-28. This year, the Green and White is looking to make even greater strides within the MAC after finishing third in both the indoor and outdoor conference meets in 2014. Head Coach Sue Parks has already produced one major improvement for the team after the distance group clinched a runner-up finish at the 2014 MAC Cross Country Championship, Nov. 1, and the track and field team has added depth across the board along with plenty of returning talent.
SPRINTS
Returning for the Eagles will be the upperclass duo of Aaliyah McKinney (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) and Danielle Clark (Paramaribo, Suriname) to lead the team in the 60m, 100m, and 200m sprints. McKinney finished runner-up in the 60m at the 2014 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 28-March 1 before winning both the 100m and 200m at the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships, May 15-17. Her mark in the 200m was one of the best in the NCAA East Region, earning her an appearance at the regional meet, May 29-30. Clark also had a strong campaign at the outdoor conference meet, taking fifth in both the 100m and 200m. The pair was also an integral part of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay lineups throughout the 2013-14 season. Rounding out the returning members of the relay teams are Iesha Hardiman (Santa Clara, Calif.-Adrian Wilcox) and Morgan Yeadon (Indianapolis, Ind.-Pike), who also ran both the 4x100m and 4x400m as well as the 400m. Newcomers Jasmine Jones (Greensburg, Pa.-Hempfield Area) and Chante Roberts (Lansing, Mich.-Waverly) also join the sprinters and will look to make an impact immediately.
HURDLES
A fair share of Eagles saw time competing in the hurdles last year, with the French pair of Sarah Chauchard (Montpellier, France-University of Montpellier) and Pauline Chiariglione taking on the bulk of the action as the year progressed. Though Chiariglione has graduated, Chauchard is set to return for the 2014-15 campaign. Tifani Byrd (Toms River, N.J.-Toms River North) also joins the team as a primary hurdler, donning the Green and White after being named the Ocean County Hurdler of the Year as a senior at Toms River North.
MID-DISTANCE
The Eagles return both primary middle distance athletes from a season ago, with Marina Manjon-Rivadulla (Barcelona, Spain-Escola University) and Rebecca Quaintance (White Lake, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) leading the pack. Manjon-Rivadulla saw time in both mid-distance and distance events, competing in the 800m, mile, and 1500m, while Quaintance was the team's primary 800m harrier and made consistent improvement during her sophomore campaign. The pair could see another addition to the group, as Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill.-Rockford Lutheran) comes into her freshman campaign after taking seventh in the Illinois I-A State Championship.
DISTANCE
The distance group has been led by All-American Victoria Voronko (Stavropol, Russia-School #42) for the past three years, with the senior entering her final season donning the Green and White as the EMU record holder in the mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, and indoor and outdoor 5000m. The two-time MAC MVP will have a pair of athletes that will push the Russian native in her senior campaign, as was proven during the cross country season. Fellow NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifier Sofie Gallein (Gits, Belgium-University of Leuven) is a seasoned 1500m and 3000m steeplechase athlete, with her name on both the U18 2000m steeplechase and U20 3000m steeplechase Belgian records. With a peronal best of 4:29.08 in the 1500m, Gallein should be a fierce competitor in the event as well as the mile run. Alongside Voronko and Gallein will be Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich.-Davison), who earned All-MAC Second Team honors in her debut cross country campaign and was an all-state selection in high school in both the 1600m and 3200m.
JUMPS
Eastern has had strong competitors in the jumps in years past, and will see a few new faces as the primary athletes in the jumps. Sophomore Kristina Coyne (Piitsburgh, Pa.-Chartiers Valley) is slated to compete in high jump, long jump, and triple jump, while classmate Janina Pollatz (Grandville, Mich.-Grand Rapids Christian) is on tap to do long jump for the Green and White. Junior Tericka Threatt (Missouri City, Texas-Dulles) will make the move from sprints to jumps, adding the long jump to her events. Byrd should also see action in the long jump and triple jump in addition to her time on the track. In the high jump, SenClair McDonnell (Westland, Mich.-Churchill) will look to compete in her debut campaign, while All-American Kate Wolanin (Oxford, Mich.-Oxford) will use her final season of outdoor eligibility to pace the Green and White once the indoor season comes to a close.
POLE VAULT
Both Ellie Braidic (Pandora, Ohio-Pandora-Gilboa) and Natalie Uy (Kettering, Ohio-Fairmont) return for the 2014-15 campaign to compete in the pole vault for the Eagles. Braidic had an impressive sophomore campaign, becoming just the fifth Eagle to clear the four-meter mark in both indoor and outdoor competition. The Pandora, Ohio native finished fourth at both the indoor and outdoor conference meets and earned a bid to the NCAA East Regional. Uy spent time on both the track and field as a freshman, but broke through as a pole vault mainstay towards the end of the season. At the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championship, Uy found herself on the podium after vaulting just three inches shy of her personal record.
THROWS
The Eagles will see the return of both Reagan Briggs (Bloomdale, Ohio-Elmwood) and Adrienne Waisner (Napoleon, Ohio-Napoleon) in the throws after losing EMU hammer throw record holder Lydia Gomez-Diaz to graduation. Waisner comes into her senior year after a solid junior campaign in the weight throw and hammer throw, and the team will have added depth in events with the addition of Darcie Marion (Adrian, Mich.-Madison) and Megan Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio-Woodmoore). Pendleton competes in the discus throw, an event in which the squad lacked a specialist last year, and should also add depth in the shot put, while Marion is expected to compete in a variety of throws during her freshman season.
MULTIS
Though Chauchard was in the primary lineup for hurdles in 2013-14, her true strength lies within the multi events. The senior earned First Team All-American honors in both the pentathlon and heptathlon after winning the events at the MAC Championship meets with record-breaking scores. Chauchard shattered the pentathlon record, but has yet to break the heptathlon record held by former NCAA Division I champion Lela V. Nelson. Chauchard could see a variety of athletes compete alongside her in the pentathlon such as Coyne and Uy, but will most likely be joined by Wolanin in the heptathlon in her final season of eligibility.
The start of the season also marks the naming of the team captains for the 2014-15 Eagles. A quartet of Eagles was chosen to lead the team on and off the track and field, with Clark, Voronko, and Wolanin taking the honors for their senior campaign while Briggs also earns the honor of being a team captain.
The meet will serve as the Green and White's only competition to close out the 2014 calendar year before the team rings in the new year by hosting the EMU Triangular, Jan. 9, 2015. Friday's competition will feature athletes from Mid-American Conference foes Bowling Green and Toledo as well as in-state rivals Oakland and Michigan. The meet will kick off with the weight throw at 4 p.m. inside Bowen Field House.
Schedule of Events
4:00 p.m. Weight Throw
4:30 p.m. Long Jump, High Jump
5:00 p.m. Pole Vault, Shot Put
5:30 p.m. Triple Jump
6:00 p.m. 5000m
6:25 p.m. 60m Hurdles
6:35 p.m. Mile Run
6:45 p.m. 60m Dash
6:55 p.m. 400m Dash
7:05 p.m. 800m Run
7:15 p.m. 200m Dash
7:25 p.m. 3000m Run
7:40 p.m. Throwers/Field Event 800m Relay
7:45 p.m. 1600m Relay
Following the EMU Triangular, the Eagles will remain in the Great Lakes State for the month of January. The Green and White will make the short trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Simmons Invitational, Jan. 17, hosted by Michigan. Following a two-week break, the squad will head up to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for a triangular meet with MAC rivals Central Michigan and Western Michigan, hosted by the Chippewas.
From there, the competition will step up as the Eagles will take on the large fields at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7 in South Bend, Ind., and the SPIRE Invitational, Feb. 13-14 in Geneva, Ohio. The team will return to U-M once more for a tune-up meet at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, before heading back to Mount Pleasant for the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 27-28. This year, the Green and White is looking to make even greater strides within the MAC after finishing third in both the indoor and outdoor conference meets in 2014. Head Coach Sue Parks has already produced one major improvement for the team after the distance group clinched a runner-up finish at the 2014 MAC Cross Country Championship, Nov. 1, and the track and field team has added depth across the board along with plenty of returning talent.
SPRINTS
Returning for the Eagles will be the upperclass duo of Aaliyah McKinney (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) and Danielle Clark (Paramaribo, Suriname) to lead the team in the 60m, 100m, and 200m sprints. McKinney finished runner-up in the 60m at the 2014 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 28-March 1 before winning both the 100m and 200m at the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships, May 15-17. Her mark in the 200m was one of the best in the NCAA East Region, earning her an appearance at the regional meet, May 29-30. Clark also had a strong campaign at the outdoor conference meet, taking fifth in both the 100m and 200m. The pair was also an integral part of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay lineups throughout the 2013-14 season. Rounding out the returning members of the relay teams are Iesha Hardiman (Santa Clara, Calif.-Adrian Wilcox) and Morgan Yeadon (Indianapolis, Ind.-Pike), who also ran both the 4x100m and 4x400m as well as the 400m. Newcomers Jasmine Jones (Greensburg, Pa.-Hempfield Area) and Chante Roberts (Lansing, Mich.-Waverly) also join the sprinters and will look to make an impact immediately.
HURDLES
A fair share of Eagles saw time competing in the hurdles last year, with the French pair of Sarah Chauchard (Montpellier, France-University of Montpellier) and Pauline Chiariglione taking on the bulk of the action as the year progressed. Though Chiariglione has graduated, Chauchard is set to return for the 2014-15 campaign. Tifani Byrd (Toms River, N.J.-Toms River North) also joins the team as a primary hurdler, donning the Green and White after being named the Ocean County Hurdler of the Year as a senior at Toms River North.
MID-DISTANCE
The Eagles return both primary middle distance athletes from a season ago, with Marina Manjon-Rivadulla (Barcelona, Spain-Escola University) and Rebecca Quaintance (White Lake, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) leading the pack. Manjon-Rivadulla saw time in both mid-distance and distance events, competing in the 800m, mile, and 1500m, while Quaintance was the team's primary 800m harrier and made consistent improvement during her sophomore campaign. The pair could see another addition to the group, as Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill.-Rockford Lutheran) comes into her freshman campaign after taking seventh in the Illinois I-A State Championship.
DISTANCE
The distance group has been led by All-American Victoria Voronko (Stavropol, Russia-School #42) for the past three years, with the senior entering her final season donning the Green and White as the EMU record holder in the mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, and indoor and outdoor 5000m. The two-time MAC MVP will have a pair of athletes that will push the Russian native in her senior campaign, as was proven during the cross country season. Fellow NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifier Sofie Gallein (Gits, Belgium-University of Leuven) is a seasoned 1500m and 3000m steeplechase athlete, with her name on both the U18 2000m steeplechase and U20 3000m steeplechase Belgian records. With a peronal best of 4:29.08 in the 1500m, Gallein should be a fierce competitor in the event as well as the mile run. Alongside Voronko and Gallein will be Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich.-Davison), who earned All-MAC Second Team honors in her debut cross country campaign and was an all-state selection in high school in both the 1600m and 3200m.
JUMPS
Eastern has had strong competitors in the jumps in years past, and will see a few new faces as the primary athletes in the jumps. Sophomore Kristina Coyne (Piitsburgh, Pa.-Chartiers Valley) is slated to compete in high jump, long jump, and triple jump, while classmate Janina Pollatz (Grandville, Mich.-Grand Rapids Christian) is on tap to do long jump for the Green and White. Junior Tericka Threatt (Missouri City, Texas-Dulles) will make the move from sprints to jumps, adding the long jump to her events. Byrd should also see action in the long jump and triple jump in addition to her time on the track. In the high jump, SenClair McDonnell (Westland, Mich.-Churchill) will look to compete in her debut campaign, while All-American Kate Wolanin (Oxford, Mich.-Oxford) will use her final season of outdoor eligibility to pace the Green and White once the indoor season comes to a close.
POLE VAULT
Both Ellie Braidic (Pandora, Ohio-Pandora-Gilboa) and Natalie Uy (Kettering, Ohio-Fairmont) return for the 2014-15 campaign to compete in the pole vault for the Eagles. Braidic had an impressive sophomore campaign, becoming just the fifth Eagle to clear the four-meter mark in both indoor and outdoor competition. The Pandora, Ohio native finished fourth at both the indoor and outdoor conference meets and earned a bid to the NCAA East Regional. Uy spent time on both the track and field as a freshman, but broke through as a pole vault mainstay towards the end of the season. At the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championship, Uy found herself on the podium after vaulting just three inches shy of her personal record.
THROWS
The Eagles will see the return of both Reagan Briggs (Bloomdale, Ohio-Elmwood) and Adrienne Waisner (Napoleon, Ohio-Napoleon) in the throws after losing EMU hammer throw record holder Lydia Gomez-Diaz to graduation. Waisner comes into her senior year after a solid junior campaign in the weight throw and hammer throw, and the team will have added depth in events with the addition of Darcie Marion (Adrian, Mich.-Madison) and Megan Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio-Woodmoore). Pendleton competes in the discus throw, an event in which the squad lacked a specialist last year, and should also add depth in the shot put, while Marion is expected to compete in a variety of throws during her freshman season.
MULTIS
Though Chauchard was in the primary lineup for hurdles in 2013-14, her true strength lies within the multi events. The senior earned First Team All-American honors in both the pentathlon and heptathlon after winning the events at the MAC Championship meets with record-breaking scores. Chauchard shattered the pentathlon record, but has yet to break the heptathlon record held by former NCAA Division I champion Lela V. Nelson. Chauchard could see a variety of athletes compete alongside her in the pentathlon such as Coyne and Uy, but will most likely be joined by Wolanin in the heptathlon in her final season of eligibility.
The start of the season also marks the naming of the team captains for the 2014-15 Eagles. A quartet of Eagles was chosen to lead the team on and off the track and field, with Clark, Voronko, and Wolanin taking the honors for their senior campaign while Briggs also earns the honor of being a team captain.
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
High Jump
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & FieldThrows
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & FieldThank You from EMU Cross Country/Track & Field!
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