Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 2
Columbus, Ohio
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Jesse Owens Invitational
Photo by: Matt Seavey
Track & Field Slated for Meets at Ohio State and Duke Friday-Sunday
4/30/2025 6:12:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
The Eagles will compete at the Jesse Owens Invitational and the Duke Twilight Meet
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University track & field programs are set for a pair of meets the first weekend in May as they head to Columbus, Ohio for the Jesse Owens Invitational, hosted by Ohio State University, at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Friday-Saturday, May 2-3, and Durham, N.C., for the Duke Twilight Meet, hosted by Duke University, at Morris Williams Stadium Sunday, May 4.
Friday's events in Columbus will begin at noon and Saturday will start at 10:30 a.m.
Fans can access all live results and watch links on the EMU Track & Field Schedule Page. Those looking to attend the Jesse Owens Invitational can access meet information, a schedule, and performance list here and do so for the Duke Twilight Meet here. 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.
LACHLAN CORNELIUS NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Track athlete Lachlan Cornelius (Brisbane, Australia/Anglican Church Grammar School) 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.
The award is Eastern Michigan's third of the outdoor season and brings the team's total to six on the 2024-25 campaign as Gabe Singh (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Northview/Oakland) and Saraiah Walkes (Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy) were recently tabbed track athletes of the week, April 15, before Lucky Fiaku (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) (field) and Josephine Oloye (Iwaro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School/Tayelolu Memorial) (track) each garnered the award in the indoor season, Dec. 10, prior to Carson McCoy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) (track) earning the recognition, Feb. 11.
LAST TIME OUT: 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 Aaron Schwieterman's (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) 4:03.03 that earned him third place.
Erica King (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette Township) 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. Freshman Shamoya Clemetson (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) 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.
LAST TIME OUT: GVSU EXTRA WEEKEND, APRIL 26
Kian Wiles (Hull, England/St. Mary's College) 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.
TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: MEN
The men currently hold 22 marks that rank inside the MAC top five.
Event Name Mark Rank
400m Bamidele Ajayi 46.85 1
400m Olawole Olanrewaju 47.18 2
800m Lachlan Cornelius 1:48.38 1
800m Kian Wiles 1:48.77 2
800m Carson McCoy 1:49.90 4
1500m Kian Wiles 3:43.43 1
1500m Lachlan Cornelius 3:49.22 2
1500m Jimmy Geller 3:50.41 5
5000m Ronan Codyre 14:24.03 50
10000m Joey Furlong 30:47.08 4
110mH Michael Hawkins 14.40 3
400mH Gabe Singh 50.67 1
400mH Michael Hawkins 53.15 2
4x100m Ajayi, King, Bass, Gage 41.07 3
4x400m Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, Singh 3:07.35 1
HJ Brendan Hill 2.09m 1
PV Jacob Niedzwiecki 4.80m 5
LJ Formula Thompson 7.34m 3
TJ Eric Haddock Jr. 14.44m 4
HT Jake McEachern 60.70m 3
DEC Samuel Jeffery 6641 Pts 4
DEC Cason Doolittle 5614 Pts 5
TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: WOMEN
The Eastern women hold 10 marks that rank inside the MAC top five.
Event Name Mark Rank
100m Saraiah Walkes 11.61 1
200m Saraiah Walkes 23.30 1
400m Saraiah Walkes 52.88 1
800m Chloie Musta 2:08.50 2
5000m Marta Moreno 16:12.80 4
10000m Sofia Ivanko 35:13:83 5
100H Shamoya Clemetson 13.78 3
4x100mH Walkes, Arscott, Alowonle, Garraway 46.07 5
4x400m Walkes, Arscott, Oloye, Henderson 3:39.06 1
TJ Kyra Buffen 12.60m 3
USTFCCCA RANKINGS
The women rank third in the MAC with a score of 637.41 and rank 14th in the region, posting a rating of 205.18 according to the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Eastern men also rank as the third-best team in the MAC for a second consecutive week with a score of 1136.15 and stand as the 13th-best team in the Great Lakes Region with a score of 295.15.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: MEN
The Eastern men check into the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings in 12 events and rank inside the 25 in both the 800m and the 400m hurdles, led by Cornelius in the 800m, completing a personal-best of 1:48.38, a time that ranks eighth in program history. Singh leads Eastern with a 400m hurdle time of 50.67.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: WOMEN
The Eastern women are ranked in 11 events by the USTFCCCA, including an 11th ranked triple jump squad led by Kyra Buffen (Columbus, Ga./Buford/Benedict), with a distance of 12.60m (41-04.25).
EAST QUALIFYING LIST
Eastern Michigan has a total of eight student-athletes on the East Qualifying List. For the men, Singh holds the highest spot, standing 12th with a 50.67 400m hurdles time. Brendan Hill (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) slots 38th on the list in the high jump with a 2.09m (6-10.25) bounce. Samuel Jeffery (Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley Secondary) ranks 38th in the decathlon with a score of 6,641 points. The 4x400m squad of Olawole Olanrewaju (Akoko North-West, Nigeria/Wallas Universal Secondary School/Lenoir-Rhyne), Bamidele Ajayi (Eikiti State, Nigeria/Metropolitan International College/Lenoir-Rhyne), Tajay Roberts (Sunrise, Fla./Dillard), and Singh rank 49th with a time of 3:07.35. Cornelius's 1:48:38 performance in the 800m slots him at 43rd on the list.
For the women, Walkes owns two times on the list, with her highest ranking coming in the 400m as she slots 31st with a time of 52.88. She also stands 31st on the list in the 200m (23.30). Buffen checks in at No. 42 on the leaderboards with a 12.60m (41-04.25) triple jump.
PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: MEN
Cornelius placed first in 800m invitational in a MAC-best and personal standard 1:48.38 at the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State University, April 26. Achieving the fastest time 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.
Cornelius' mark stands eighth on the program leaderboards. Cornelius' time also topped his previous conference-best mark (1:49.25) by nearly one full second, his time currently ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 43rd on the East Qualifying List. Overall, the men have set 19 program top-10 marks in the outdoor campaign.
PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: WOMEN
King set one program top-10 mark in the javelin throw at the Hillsdale Tune-Up with a distance of 41.17m. She ranks fifth in the MAC, 14th in the region, and seventh in program history. Overall, the women's team has set 18 program top-10 marks in the outdoor season.
UP NEXT
Eastern is scheduled for two meets next week in the Hillsdale College Last Chance event, hosted by Hillsdale College at Hayden's Park Outdoor Track, in Hillsdale Mich., Wednesday, May 7, and the Len Paddock Open, hosted by the University of Michigan, at the U-M Track and Field Stadium, in Ann Arbor, Mich., May 9.
Previously Noted
AT WAKE FOREST INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18
Chloie Musta (Mesick, Mich./Cadillac) 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. Ajah Arscott (Plantation, Fla./Taravella) 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 Lena Korte (Clinton, Mich./Clinton/Concordia) 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 Formula Thompson (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska) 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 Jake McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) 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.
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.
Friday's events in Columbus will begin at noon and Saturday will start at 10:30 a.m.
Fans can access all live results and watch links on the EMU Track & Field Schedule Page. Those looking to attend the Jesse Owens Invitational can access meet information, a schedule, and performance list here and do so for the Duke Twilight Meet here. 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.
LACHLAN CORNELIUS NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Track athlete Lachlan Cornelius (Brisbane, Australia/Anglican Church Grammar School) 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.
The award is Eastern Michigan's third of the outdoor season and brings the team's total to six on the 2024-25 campaign as Gabe Singh (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Northview/Oakland) and Saraiah Walkes (Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy) were recently tabbed track athletes of the week, April 15, before Lucky Fiaku (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) (field) and Josephine Oloye (Iwaro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School/Tayelolu Memorial) (track) each garnered the award in the indoor season, Dec. 10, prior to Carson McCoy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) (track) earning the recognition, Feb. 11.
LAST TIME OUT: 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 Aaron Schwieterman's (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) 4:03.03 that earned him third place.
Erica King (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette Township) 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. Freshman Shamoya Clemetson (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) 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.
LAST TIME OUT: GVSU EXTRA WEEKEND, APRIL 26
Kian Wiles (Hull, England/St. Mary's College) 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.
TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: MEN
The men currently hold 22 marks that rank inside the MAC top five.
Event Name Mark Rank
400m Bamidele Ajayi 46.85 1
400m Olawole Olanrewaju 47.18 2
800m Lachlan Cornelius 1:48.38 1
800m Kian Wiles 1:48.77 2
800m Carson McCoy 1:49.90 4
1500m Kian Wiles 3:43.43 1
1500m Lachlan Cornelius 3:49.22 2
1500m Jimmy Geller 3:50.41 5
5000m Ronan Codyre 14:24.03 50
10000m Joey Furlong 30:47.08 4
110mH Michael Hawkins 14.40 3
400mH Gabe Singh 50.67 1
400mH Michael Hawkins 53.15 2
4x100m Ajayi, King, Bass, Gage 41.07 3
4x400m Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, Singh 3:07.35 1
HJ Brendan Hill 2.09m 1
PV Jacob Niedzwiecki 4.80m 5
LJ Formula Thompson 7.34m 3
TJ Eric Haddock Jr. 14.44m 4
HT Jake McEachern 60.70m 3
DEC Samuel Jeffery 6641 Pts 4
DEC Cason Doolittle 5614 Pts 5
TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: WOMEN
The Eastern women hold 10 marks that rank inside the MAC top five.
Event Name Mark Rank
100m Saraiah Walkes 11.61 1
200m Saraiah Walkes 23.30 1
400m Saraiah Walkes 52.88 1
800m Chloie Musta 2:08.50 2
5000m Marta Moreno 16:12.80 4
10000m Sofia Ivanko 35:13:83 5
100H Shamoya Clemetson 13.78 3
4x100mH Walkes, Arscott, Alowonle, Garraway 46.07 5
4x400m Walkes, Arscott, Oloye, Henderson 3:39.06 1
TJ Kyra Buffen 12.60m 3
USTFCCCA RANKINGS
The women rank third in the MAC with a score of 637.41 and rank 14th in the region, posting a rating of 205.18 according to the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Eastern men also rank as the third-best team in the MAC for a second consecutive week with a score of 1136.15 and stand as the 13th-best team in the Great Lakes Region with a score of 295.15.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: MEN
The Eastern men check into the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings in 12 events and rank inside the 25 in both the 800m and the 400m hurdles, led by Cornelius in the 800m, completing a personal-best of 1:48.38, a time that ranks eighth in program history. Singh leads Eastern with a 400m hurdle time of 50.67.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: WOMEN
The Eastern women are ranked in 11 events by the USTFCCCA, including an 11th ranked triple jump squad led by Kyra Buffen (Columbus, Ga./Buford/Benedict), with a distance of 12.60m (41-04.25).
EAST QUALIFYING LIST
Eastern Michigan has a total of eight student-athletes on the East Qualifying List. For the men, Singh holds the highest spot, standing 12th with a 50.67 400m hurdles time. Brendan Hill (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) slots 38th on the list in the high jump with a 2.09m (6-10.25) bounce. Samuel Jeffery (Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley Secondary) ranks 38th in the decathlon with a score of 6,641 points. The 4x400m squad of Olawole Olanrewaju (Akoko North-West, Nigeria/Wallas Universal Secondary School/Lenoir-Rhyne), Bamidele Ajayi (Eikiti State, Nigeria/Metropolitan International College/Lenoir-Rhyne), Tajay Roberts (Sunrise, Fla./Dillard), and Singh rank 49th with a time of 3:07.35. Cornelius's 1:48:38 performance in the 800m slots him at 43rd on the list.
For the women, Walkes owns two times on the list, with her highest ranking coming in the 400m as she slots 31st with a time of 52.88. She also stands 31st on the list in the 200m (23.30). Buffen checks in at No. 42 on the leaderboards with a 12.60m (41-04.25) triple jump.
PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: MEN
Cornelius placed first in 800m invitational in a MAC-best and personal standard 1:48.38 at the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State University, April 26. Achieving the fastest time 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.
Cornelius' mark stands eighth on the program leaderboards. Cornelius' time also topped his previous conference-best mark (1:49.25) by nearly one full second, his time currently ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 43rd on the East Qualifying List. Overall, the men have set 19 program top-10 marks in the outdoor campaign.
PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: WOMEN
King set one program top-10 mark in the javelin throw at the Hillsdale Tune-Up with a distance of 41.17m. She ranks fifth in the MAC, 14th in the region, and seventh in program history. Overall, the women's team has set 18 program top-10 marks in the outdoor season.
UP NEXT
Eastern is scheduled for two meets next week in the Hillsdale College Last Chance event, hosted by Hillsdale College at Hayden's Park Outdoor Track, in Hillsdale Mich., Wednesday, May 7, and the Len Paddock Open, hosted by the University of Michigan, at the U-M Track and Field Stadium, in Ann Arbor, Mich., May 9.
Previously Noted
AT WAKE FOREST INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18
Chloie Musta (Mesick, Mich./Cadillac) 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. Ajah Arscott (Plantation, Fla./Taravella) 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 Lena Korte (Clinton, Mich./Clinton/Concordia) 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 Formula Thompson (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska) 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 Jake McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) 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.
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.
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/ Women's Track & FieldTrack & Field at 2025 Spartan Invitational
Tuesday, April 08
2025 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Cinematic Recap
Wednesday, March 05
2025 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Day 1 Highlights
Saturday, March 01
2025 MAC Indoor Championships Hype Video
Wednesday, February 26