Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Track & Field
Roberts, Sterling
Sterling Roberts
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach
- Email:
- sroberts3@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.0236
Beginning July 1, 2024, Sterling Roberts was promoted to Co-Director of Track & Filed and named the Men's Track & Field Head Coach. He is entering his first season in the role in 2024-25, marking his 13th overall season as a member of the EMU staff.
The 2023-24 season marked Roberts' fourth and final as an associate head coach. The indoor season saw jumpers Kyra Buffen and Formula Thompson earn respective All-MAC First Team accolades. Buffen finished first in the triple jump at the MAC Indoor Championships with a 12.43m (40-9.5) mark, the eighth-best in program history, while Thompson grabbed first in the long jump with a 7.68m (25-2.5) leap, the second-best in EMU history. Eric Haddock Jr. earned second team all-conference as he grabbed silver in the triple jump at the conference indoor championships with a 15.07m (49-5.5) bound. On the hurdles side, Almighty Williamson was named All-MAC Second Team after placing second in the 60m hurdles in 7.91. He was also named MAC Track Athlete of the Week, Dec. 6, 2023.
The outdoor season was headlined by Williamson, who broke his own school record while setting a MAC Outdoor Championships record in the 110m hurdles, as he finished first in 13.53, shaving .12 off his previous school record (13.65). For his efforts, he was named MAC Men's Most Co-Outstanding Performer. He garnered another track athlete of the week award as well, as he was named the winner, March 27. Sticking with Roberts' hurdlers, Gabe Singh earned All-MAC Second Team honors after finishing second in the 400m hurdles in 51.95. Eastern swept the triple jump events at the MAC Outdoor Championships, as Buffen captured the title for the first time at the outdoor conference championships for the EMU women with a 12.46m (41-5.75) bound, tying for the fourth-best in program history. Thompson earned his crown with a 15.57m (51-1) mark, a leap that sits sixth on the program's top-10 leaderboards.
Buffen, Kayenn Mabin, Williamson, and Thompson each qualified for the NCAA East Prelims, as Buffen competed in the triple jump, Mabin and Williamson saw action in the 110m hurdles, and Thompson did so in both the long and triple jump.
Outside of Buffen, Thompson, and Williamson, two Eagles -- Mabin and Mariia Yelanska earned program top-10 marks. Mabin tied for the sixth-fastest 110m hurdles with a 13.94 run, while Yelanska tabbed the seventh-best outdoor triple jump in program history with a 12.46m (40-10.50) spring.
A pair of school records fell for Roberts’ hurdlers in the 2022-23 track and field campaign. Angel Gazaway shattered the school record in the first round of the 100m hurdles at the 2023 NCAA East First Round Championship with a time of 13.05 to place 12th and advance to the quarterfinals. Along with Gazaway, Williamson broke the school record in the first round of 110m hurdles with a time of 13.65 to place 15th and earn a spot in the quarterfinals.
At the 2023 MAC Outdoor Championships, Gazaway had an outstanding weekend as she won the 100 meter hurdles with a PR of 13.38, the second best time in school history and also set a PR to win the 400 hurdles in 59.16, the fifth best mark in the program. Payne Wylie was one of four Eastern men to take home an individual MAC Championship as he won the 110m hurdles in 14.09. Formula Thompson served as Roberts’ top jumper at the meet, placing third in the long-jump, leaping 7.50 meters
During the indoor season, Yvan Lopes Ribeiro leaped his way to gold in his first MAC indoor meet with a personal-best long jump (7.38m). Gazaway went down as the women’s only individual champion at the MAC indoor meet, securing gold in the 60m hurdles. She was the top qualifier out of the preliminary round Friday as she clocked a time of 8.46. In the Saturday final, she turned on the gas and won the title in 8.41, the sixth-fastest time in program history.
Roberts’ hurdlers were phenomenal during the 2021-22 season, highlighted by transfer Williamson who won the 60m hurdles at the MAC Indoor Championships and 110m hurdles at the league’s outdoor meet. Williamson qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, advancing to the quarterfinals. His season and career-best time of 13.68 also qualified him for the USATF Outdoor Championships. Meanwhile, fellow hurdler Payne Wylie earned silver in the 110m hurdles and bronze in the 400m hurdles at the MAC outdoor meet, while his season-best time of 13.96w also qualified for the regional meet. Additionally, Alysse Wade earned bronze in the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles at the MAC meets.
Under his mentorship, Roberts also saw his triple jumpers excel. Baboucar Salla-Mohammed took second and third in both the long jump and triple jump, respectively, at the conference meet both seasons. Sallah-Mohammed and Richie Sadler both punched their tickets to the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round.
In the summer of 2021, Roberts mentored Olympians Donald Scott and Tori Franklin. Scott and Franklin both qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan with their performances in the triple jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Scott, a former EMU All-American, ultimately took seventh in the world with a leap of 17.18m. Franklin’s best jump of the competition was 13.68m, good for 25th overall.
Sallah-Mohammed, made a splash in his native country of the Netherlands. Sallah-Mohammed became the Dutch National Champion in both the long jump (7.52m) and triple jump (15.36m).
The 2020-21 track & field season saw multiple Eagles achieve success in hurdles and jumps. Under Roberts’ tutelage, hurdlers Dante Lander and Wylie, and jumper Sallah-Mohammed all qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships.
During the regular season, Wylie captured the 110m hurdles crown at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships with a personal-best time of 13.96. Additionally, Sallah-Mohammed took second at the outdoor MAC meet in both the long jump and triple jump. Sallah-Mohammed broke Scott’s outdoor long jump record in spring 2021, leaping 7.87 for the best mark in program history. In the shortened 2019-2020 season, Sallah-Mohammed captured the MAC Indoor long jump crown with a jump of 7.58m. Moreover, Devonte Findlay won the 60m hurdles title, clocking in at 7.89.
Roberts’ sprinters shined during the 2018-19 campaign as Tyler Underwood dominated the track. Underwood won both the indoor and outdoor league titles in the 200m and won the indoor 400m. His efforts were good enough to make the regional meet in the latter.
At the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships, the men’s team saw individual champions in the 60m, 200m, and 400m dashes. With these performances, Roberts was named Men’s MAC Assistant Coach of the Year.
The EMU men’s program captured the Triple Crown in the 2018 as the team accumulated 184.5 points to Akron’s 166. Sprinter Tyler Johnson earned the title of MAC Men’s Track Freshman of the year, adding to Eagles’ point total in three events, including running the second leg of the first-place 4x400m team.
The men’s team won the 2018 MAC Indoor Championship, in large part thanks to Roberts’ six top-3 finishes across five events. That season, Roberts was tabbed men’s MAC Assistant Coach of the Year.
In the 2016-17 campaign, sprinter Leighton Antonio shined for the Eagles. At the league’s 2017 outdoor meet, Antonio took first in the 200m (21.00) and third in the 100m (10.48).
The 2015-16 season saw sprinter Tyler Brown named title MVP of MAC Indoor Championships. Brown claimed the top spot in the 400m (47.24) and finished runner-up in the 200 (21.31). Brown also won the 400 (46.55) at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
In 2014-15, Roberts helped Scott record one of the greatest seasons by any jumper in EMU history. Scott started off the year by winning both the long jump (7.57m) and triple jump (16.38m) at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships. He earned a bid to the national indoor meet where he finished second in the country with a triple jump of 16.84m. In the outdoor season, the Apopka, Fla., native won the triple jump (16.24m) and took third in the long jump (7.53m) at MACs. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Scott gave it his all, placing third overall in the triple jump with a leap of 16.83m.
Roberts had a standout year during the 2013-14 campaign, as he was named the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Under his tutelage, Tyler Brown had an outstanding freshman campaign after being crowned MAC champion in the 400m during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as well as running on the winning indoor 4x400m and outdoor 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Brown was later named the MVP for the MAC Outdoor Championships. The 4x100m relay team of Brown, Cameron Bolton, Jeff Elam, and Chris Scott broke the EMU record at the Drake Relays, April 26, with a time of 39.98 seconds, marking the first time an Eagle lineup had ever crossed the 40-second barrier. The 4x400m team of Bolton, Brown, Elam, and Mason Waynes turned in the second-fastest time in EMU history at the NCAA East Regional and went on to take 13th at the NCAA Championships with all four athletes garnering Second Team All-America honors. Roberts continued to train Brown as he went to compete in the USA Junior National Championships, in which he took home gold in the 400m with a lifetime-best time of 45.74 seconds. Brown represented the USA at the 2014 Junior World Championships, taking eighth in the 400m while the 4x400m relay team took home the gold medal.
Roberts graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2003 where he was a four-year varsity track student-athlete. He competed as a sprinter and hurdler who specialized in the 400m hurdles. Roberts was a two-time All-MAC award winner, while he also was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won a MAC Championship in 2002. He later earned his master’s degree from Defiance College in 2011.
Before rejoining EMU, Roberts worked as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Illinois where he assisted with the development and modification of the training program for male sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers. He coached four different NCAA Preliminary Qualifiers.
Prior to his year at Illinois, Roberts was an assistant coach at Defiance College from 2009-11. While at Defiance, he was charged with recruitment of male/female jumpers, hurdlers, and sprinters, including assisting in establishing a database for coordinating recruiting among all coaches. He also coached an NCAA Division III national qualifier in the pole vault, high jump, and decathlon.
The 2023-24 season marked Roberts' fourth and final as an associate head coach. The indoor season saw jumpers Kyra Buffen and Formula Thompson earn respective All-MAC First Team accolades. Buffen finished first in the triple jump at the MAC Indoor Championships with a 12.43m (40-9.5) mark, the eighth-best in program history, while Thompson grabbed first in the long jump with a 7.68m (25-2.5) leap, the second-best in EMU history. Eric Haddock Jr. earned second team all-conference as he grabbed silver in the triple jump at the conference indoor championships with a 15.07m (49-5.5) bound. On the hurdles side, Almighty Williamson was named All-MAC Second Team after placing second in the 60m hurdles in 7.91. He was also named MAC Track Athlete of the Week, Dec. 6, 2023.
The outdoor season was headlined by Williamson, who broke his own school record while setting a MAC Outdoor Championships record in the 110m hurdles, as he finished first in 13.53, shaving .12 off his previous school record (13.65). For his efforts, he was named MAC Men's Most Co-Outstanding Performer. He garnered another track athlete of the week award as well, as he was named the winner, March 27. Sticking with Roberts' hurdlers, Gabe Singh earned All-MAC Second Team honors after finishing second in the 400m hurdles in 51.95. Eastern swept the triple jump events at the MAC Outdoor Championships, as Buffen captured the title for the first time at the outdoor conference championships for the EMU women with a 12.46m (41-5.75) bound, tying for the fourth-best in program history. Thompson earned his crown with a 15.57m (51-1) mark, a leap that sits sixth on the program's top-10 leaderboards.
Buffen, Kayenn Mabin, Williamson, and Thompson each qualified for the NCAA East Prelims, as Buffen competed in the triple jump, Mabin and Williamson saw action in the 110m hurdles, and Thompson did so in both the long and triple jump.
Outside of Buffen, Thompson, and Williamson, two Eagles -- Mabin and Mariia Yelanska earned program top-10 marks. Mabin tied for the sixth-fastest 110m hurdles with a 13.94 run, while Yelanska tabbed the seventh-best outdoor triple jump in program history with a 12.46m (40-10.50) spring.
A pair of school records fell for Roberts’ hurdlers in the 2022-23 track and field campaign. Angel Gazaway shattered the school record in the first round of the 100m hurdles at the 2023 NCAA East First Round Championship with a time of 13.05 to place 12th and advance to the quarterfinals. Along with Gazaway, Williamson broke the school record in the first round of 110m hurdles with a time of 13.65 to place 15th and earn a spot in the quarterfinals.
At the 2023 MAC Outdoor Championships, Gazaway had an outstanding weekend as she won the 100 meter hurdles with a PR of 13.38, the second best time in school history and also set a PR to win the 400 hurdles in 59.16, the fifth best mark in the program. Payne Wylie was one of four Eastern men to take home an individual MAC Championship as he won the 110m hurdles in 14.09. Formula Thompson served as Roberts’ top jumper at the meet, placing third in the long-jump, leaping 7.50 meters
During the indoor season, Yvan Lopes Ribeiro leaped his way to gold in his first MAC indoor meet with a personal-best long jump (7.38m). Gazaway went down as the women’s only individual champion at the MAC indoor meet, securing gold in the 60m hurdles. She was the top qualifier out of the preliminary round Friday as she clocked a time of 8.46. In the Saturday final, she turned on the gas and won the title in 8.41, the sixth-fastest time in program history.
Roberts’ hurdlers were phenomenal during the 2021-22 season, highlighted by transfer Williamson who won the 60m hurdles at the MAC Indoor Championships and 110m hurdles at the league’s outdoor meet. Williamson qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, advancing to the quarterfinals. His season and career-best time of 13.68 also qualified him for the USATF Outdoor Championships. Meanwhile, fellow hurdler Payne Wylie earned silver in the 110m hurdles and bronze in the 400m hurdles at the MAC outdoor meet, while his season-best time of 13.96w also qualified for the regional meet. Additionally, Alysse Wade earned bronze in the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles at the MAC meets.
Under his mentorship, Roberts also saw his triple jumpers excel. Baboucar Salla-Mohammed took second and third in both the long jump and triple jump, respectively, at the conference meet both seasons. Sallah-Mohammed and Richie Sadler both punched their tickets to the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round.
In the summer of 2021, Roberts mentored Olympians Donald Scott and Tori Franklin. Scott and Franklin both qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan with their performances in the triple jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Scott, a former EMU All-American, ultimately took seventh in the world with a leap of 17.18m. Franklin’s best jump of the competition was 13.68m, good for 25th overall.
Sallah-Mohammed, made a splash in his native country of the Netherlands. Sallah-Mohammed became the Dutch National Champion in both the long jump (7.52m) and triple jump (15.36m).
The 2020-21 track & field season saw multiple Eagles achieve success in hurdles and jumps. Under Roberts’ tutelage, hurdlers Dante Lander and Wylie, and jumper Sallah-Mohammed all qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships.
During the regular season, Wylie captured the 110m hurdles crown at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships with a personal-best time of 13.96. Additionally, Sallah-Mohammed took second at the outdoor MAC meet in both the long jump and triple jump. Sallah-Mohammed broke Scott’s outdoor long jump record in spring 2021, leaping 7.87 for the best mark in program history. In the shortened 2019-2020 season, Sallah-Mohammed captured the MAC Indoor long jump crown with a jump of 7.58m. Moreover, Devonte Findlay won the 60m hurdles title, clocking in at 7.89.
Roberts’ sprinters shined during the 2018-19 campaign as Tyler Underwood dominated the track. Underwood won both the indoor and outdoor league titles in the 200m and won the indoor 400m. His efforts were good enough to make the regional meet in the latter.
At the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships, the men’s team saw individual champions in the 60m, 200m, and 400m dashes. With these performances, Roberts was named Men’s MAC Assistant Coach of the Year.
The EMU men’s program captured the Triple Crown in the 2018 as the team accumulated 184.5 points to Akron’s 166. Sprinter Tyler Johnson earned the title of MAC Men’s Track Freshman of the year, adding to Eagles’ point total in three events, including running the second leg of the first-place 4x400m team.
The men’s team won the 2018 MAC Indoor Championship, in large part thanks to Roberts’ six top-3 finishes across five events. That season, Roberts was tabbed men’s MAC Assistant Coach of the Year.
In the 2016-17 campaign, sprinter Leighton Antonio shined for the Eagles. At the league’s 2017 outdoor meet, Antonio took first in the 200m (21.00) and third in the 100m (10.48).
The 2015-16 season saw sprinter Tyler Brown named title MVP of MAC Indoor Championships. Brown claimed the top spot in the 400m (47.24) and finished runner-up in the 200 (21.31). Brown also won the 400 (46.55) at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
In 2014-15, Roberts helped Scott record one of the greatest seasons by any jumper in EMU history. Scott started off the year by winning both the long jump (7.57m) and triple jump (16.38m) at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships. He earned a bid to the national indoor meet where he finished second in the country with a triple jump of 16.84m. In the outdoor season, the Apopka, Fla., native won the triple jump (16.24m) and took third in the long jump (7.53m) at MACs. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Scott gave it his all, placing third overall in the triple jump with a leap of 16.83m.
Roberts had a standout year during the 2013-14 campaign, as he was named the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Under his tutelage, Tyler Brown had an outstanding freshman campaign after being crowned MAC champion in the 400m during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as well as running on the winning indoor 4x400m and outdoor 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Brown was later named the MVP for the MAC Outdoor Championships. The 4x100m relay team of Brown, Cameron Bolton, Jeff Elam, and Chris Scott broke the EMU record at the Drake Relays, April 26, with a time of 39.98 seconds, marking the first time an Eagle lineup had ever crossed the 40-second barrier. The 4x400m team of Bolton, Brown, Elam, and Mason Waynes turned in the second-fastest time in EMU history at the NCAA East Regional and went on to take 13th at the NCAA Championships with all four athletes garnering Second Team All-America honors. Roberts continued to train Brown as he went to compete in the USA Junior National Championships, in which he took home gold in the 400m with a lifetime-best time of 45.74 seconds. Brown represented the USA at the 2014 Junior World Championships, taking eighth in the 400m while the 4x400m relay team took home the gold medal.
Roberts graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2003 where he was a four-year varsity track student-athlete. He competed as a sprinter and hurdler who specialized in the 400m hurdles. Roberts was a two-time All-MAC award winner, while he also was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won a MAC Championship in 2002. He later earned his master’s degree from Defiance College in 2011.
Before rejoining EMU, Roberts worked as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Illinois where he assisted with the development and modification of the training program for male sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers. He coached four different NCAA Preliminary Qualifiers.
Prior to his year at Illinois, Roberts was an assistant coach at Defiance College from 2009-11. While at Defiance, he was charged with recruitment of male/female jumpers, hurdlers, and sprinters, including assisting in establishing a database for coordinating recruiting among all coaches. He also coached an NCAA Division III national qualifier in the pole vault, high jump, and decathlon.
| The Sterling Roberts File | ||||
| Name: | Sterling Roberts | |||
| Hometown: | Worthington, Ohio | |||
| College: | Eastern Michigan - B.S. - 2003 Defiance College - M.S. - 2011 |
|||
| Professional Experience | ||||
| Year | School/Team | Position | ||
| 2024-Pres. | Eastern Michigan University | Co-Director of Cross Country/Track & Field | ||
| 2020-Pres. | Eastern Michigan University | Associate Head Track & Field Coach | ||
| 2012-2020 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Men’s Track & Field Coach | ||
| 2011-12 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Volunteer Assistant Track & Field Coach | ||
| 2009-11 | Defiance College | Assistant Track & Field Coach | ||
| 1999-2003 | Eastern Michigan University | Student-Athlete | ||
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