Sophomore Victoria Voronko’s dominating performances headlined Eastern Michigan University’s women’s track and field outdoor season.
Voronko set personal bests in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the National Collegiate Athletic Association East Regional, the 5,000-meter run at the Drake Relays, the 1,500-meter run at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“Victoria really took a big step forward this track season,” EMU head coach Sue Parks said. “She established herself as one of the top athletes in the Mid-American Conference, as a well as a national qualifier. You always hope someone can make that big of a jump during their second year.”
Lack of depth played a role in the team not being able to maximize its full potential in the outdoor season.
“The team as a whole was shorthanded in some areas,” Parks said. “We had a lot of top individuals, but we did not have a lot of depth behind them. It hurt us in terms of placing higher in the MAC Championships, and that is what it takes to be in contention.”
Other Notable Season Highlights:
At the Spartan Invitational, freshman Vanessa Clerveaux finished first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.67, while senior Asia Rawls also crossed the finish line first in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.26.
At the Sea Ray Relays, freshman Alysha Newman tied a Canadian Junior National outdoor record in the pole vault by leaping 13-feet 9.25-inches (4.20 meters).
Seniors Tatijana Jacobson and Rachel Quaintance scored victories in the high jump and the 5,000-meter run, respectively.
At the EMU Twilight, Voronko placed first in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:30.24.
Sophomore Lydia Gomez-Diaz took first in the hammer-throw with a toss of 55.66 meters.
Freshman Ellie Braidic finished on top in the pole vault with a leap of 3.85 meters.
At the Toledo Invitational, Gomez-Diaz was the only winner — in the hammer throw with a toss of 188-feet 7-inches (57.48 inches).
At the MAC Championships, Newman leaped 13-feet 5.75-inches (4.11 meters) tied Akron sophomore Ariane Beaumont-Courteau and both went into a jump-off where Newman prevailed victorious.
Newman became the EMU pole vaulter to sweep the indoor and outdoor MAC pole vault champion in the same season since Hanna Palamaa in 2002.
Senior Asia Rawls took the top spot in the 400-meter hurdles in 58.32, but was not enough as the Eagles finished fifth in the final standings with a score of 82.50.
Newman, Rawls and Voronko were named to the Women’s All-MAC First Team, while Jacobson was named to the All-MAC Second Team.
The Lasting Legacy Of The EMU Seniors:
With seniors Quaintance, Jacobson, Rawls, Courtney Calka, Morgan Churchwell, Lauren Lunsford and Meghan Powers moving on, Parks discussed the impact they made as a class.
“Anytime you lose seniors, you will feel the impact immediately,” Parks said. “Asia Rawls, who has been solid since her first year, is one of those athletes that made an immediate impact on our program. Few athletes can come in and do the things she did right away. From practices to meets, she has always been a hard worker and tough competitor.”
“Morgan was more of a developmental athlete when she walked on and it is great to see people like her come here without the marks and make something of herself,” Parks said.
When asked about who stood out amongst the group, Parks said, “All of the seniors are different and showed their leadership to help get the program to where it is right now.”
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Follow Eugene Evans on Twitter: @EasternEchoGeno.
