Track & Field Returns to Ann Arbor for Silverston Invitational Friday

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University track and field programs will return to Ann Arbor, Mich. to compete in the Silverston Invitational, hosted by the University of Michigan, at the U-M Indoor Track Building Friday, Feb. 20.

The Michigan Invitational will mark the fourth of five total meets this season the Eagles will attend at Michigan, as they competed in the Wolverine Invitational, Simmons-Harvey Invitational, and Michigan Invitational so far this season. After this weekend, the Eagles will compete at Michigan one more time in the outdoor season at the Len Paddock Open, May 8.

Both field and running events will begin at 4 p.m.

Fans interested in attending the meet can access all meet information here.

Fans can also track live results here. A post-meet recap will be posted to EMUEagles.com.

Last Time at Silverston Invitational
The Eagles competed in the Silverston Invitational last season on Feb. 21, where they saw nine first-place finishes and 24 personal best performances. Nicolette Lewis (Fairburn, Ga./Hoover) won the women's weight throw with a toss of 16.43m (53-11.00), earning her spot No. 10 in the program top 10, which she has since improved to spot No. 6. Lewis was followed by Isabella Brent and Aleah Johnson (Botkins, Ohio/Botkins) who finished second and third, respectively.

Paige Marchant won the mile in 4:55.50, while the 4x400m relay team of Mia Biehl (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing), Tijana Japundzic (Belgrade, Serbia/Technical School "New Belgrade"), Demetria Henderson (Tampa, Fla./Freedom), and Delphine Drath took first with a time of 3:56.40 Alimot Alowonle (Lagos, Nigeria/Tindip College, New Orleans) set the top mark in the triple jump, with a 12.09m (39-08.00) showing.

On the men's side, Formula Thompson won the triple jump with a 14.39m (47-02.50) mark, and Leland Godfrey (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral/Sacramento State) won the shot put with a toss of 14.57m (47-09.75). In the high jump, Ousman Kamara and Lucky Fiaku (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) tied for first, each jumping 2.00m (6-06.75).

Last Time Out: Two-Meet Weekend
The Eagles sent athletes to two different meets last weekend, as the distance runners and Johnson competed in the GVSU Big Meet, Friday, Feb. 13, and the rest of the athletes competed in the Heartland Invitational, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 13-14. Eastern saw a combined total of four event wins and 17 personal best performances.

At the GVSU Big Meet, Kian Wiles (Hull, England/St. Mary's College) set a Mid-American Conference (MAC) leading mark in the 800m invitational, with a personal best time of 1:48.85, a time also good for fourth best in program history. Ty Dailey (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) and Nicholas Kline (Grand Rapids, Mich./Kenowa Hills) also ran personal best times in the 800m open, and Jimmy Geller (London, England/Davenant Foundation School) ran a personal best time of 4:03.19, which now ranks second in the MAC behind Wiles' time of 3:59.78. The women were also highlighted by multiple personal bests, as Sophie Emin (Easton Pa./Easton Area/Rutgers) ran a personal best 2:10.96 in the 800m invitational, and Erika Van Loton (Garden City, Mich./Huron Valley Lutheran) ran the mile in 5:13.74, a personal best by two seconds.

At the Heartland Invitational, Gabe Oliveira (São Paulo, Brazil/ Escola Estadual Jornalista David Nasser) won the triple jump with a personal best 15.37m (50-05.25) mark, now leading the MAC and earning rank No. 7 in the program top 10, tied with Anthony McClendon, who set the mark in 1990. Andrew Azunque (Naples, Fla./First Baptist Academy) won the open long jump with a personal best leap of 7.20m (23-07.50). For the women, Megan Rybitski (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne) finished first in the open pole vault with a personal best clearance of 3.81m (12-06.00). The second event win came from the 4x400m relay team of Liusmar Rivas Velasquez (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier), Alba Viñals Calixto (Arinsal, Andorra/Escola Andorrana de Segona Ensenyança d'Ordino), Josphine Oloye (Iawro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School), and Demetria Henderson (Tampa, Fla./Freedom), who ran a time of 3:42.73.

Previously Noted
A Look Back: 2024-25 MAC Honors
Saraiah Walkes (Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy), was named Most Valuable Performer in the outdoor season after scoring 38 points at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 15-17. She became the 13th most valuable performer in program history and the first since Alsu Bogdanova in 2018.

All-MAC Returners – Indoor Season
Eastern returns 10 All-MAC honorees from the indoor season.

Women's All-MAC Returners
Saraiah Walkes – First Team (200m)
Josephine Oloye – Second Team (400m)

Men's All-MAC Returners
Carson McCoy – First Team (800m)
Kian Wiles – First Team (mile)
Jake McEachern – Second Team (weight throw)
Tajay Roberts – Second Team (4x400m relay)
Bamidele Ajayi – Second Team (4x400m relay)
Ty Dailey – Second Team (distance medley relay)
Josh Flake – Second Team (distance medley relay)
Jimmy Geller – Second Team (distance medley relay)

All-MAC Returners – Outdoor Season
The Eagles return 15 All-MAC athletes from the outdoor season.

Women's All-MAC Returners
Saraiah Walkes – First Team (100m, 200m, 4x400m relay)
Demetria Henderson – First Team (4x400m relay)
Josephine Oloye – First Team (4x400m relay)
Alimot Alowonle – Second Team (4x100m relay)
Ajah Arscott – Second Team (4x100m relay)
Jaeden Garraway – Second Team (4x100m relay)
Micah Martin – Second Team (high jump)

Men's All-MAC Returners
Bamidele Ajayi – First Team (4x400m relay)
Mill Coleman III – First Team (4x100m relay)
Lachlan Cornelius – First Team (800m)
Jake McEachern – First Team (hammer throw)
Olawole Olanrewaju – First Team (4x400m relay)
Tajay Roberts – First Team (4x400m relay)
Kian Wiles – First Team (1500m)
Samuel Jeffery – Second Team (decathlon)

Captains
The 2025-26 squad is led by eight captains. The women's leaders include Walkes, seniors Sophie Emin (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) and Micah Martin (Clinton Township, Mich./L'anse Creuse), and junior Megan Rybitski (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne). The men's leaders include senior Kian Wiles (Hull, England/St. Mary's College), juniors Jeffery and Leland Godfrey (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral), and sophomore Michael Hawkins (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical).

Up Next
The Eagles will next compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Indoor Championships, hosted by Central Michigan University, in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Feb. 27-28.

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.

Track & Field Returns to Ann Arbor for Silverston Invitational Friday

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Players Mentioned

Bamidele Ajayi

Alimot Alowonle

Ajah Arscott

Andrew Azunque

Mia Biehl

Isabella Brent

Mill Coleman III

Lachlan Cornelius

Ty Dailey

Delphine Drath

Sophie Emin

Lucky Fiaku

Josh Flake

Jaeden Garraway

Jimmy Geller

Leland Godfrey

Michael Hawkins

Demetria Henderson

Tijana Japundzic

Samuel Jeffery

Aleah Johnson

Ousman Kamara

Nicholas Kline

Nicolette Lewis

Paige Marchant

Micah Martin

Carson McCoy

Jake McEachern

Olawole Olanrewaju

Josephine Oloye

Liusmar Rivas Velasquez

Tajay Roberts

Megan Rybitski

Formula Thompson

Erika Van Loton

Saraiah Walkes

Kian Wiles

Eastern Michigan Athletics