The Eastern Michigan University track and field teams capped off their 2024 outdoor season as 11 athletes competed for a spot in the national championships at the NCAA East Prelims, held May 22-25 at the University of Kentucky Track & Field Facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
Men's Highlights
On Wednesday and Friday, standout performances came from Almighty Williamson (Baltimore, Maryland/Digital Harbor/Barton C.C.), who advanced to the quarterfinals in the 110m hurdles with a 19th-place finish (13.90) in the semifinals. Williamson set a new school record with a 13.65 in the first round, marking his second consecutive season reaching the quarterfinals. He narrowly missed qualifying for the finals, finishing 18th with a time of 13.87. Freshman Kayenn Mabin (Kalamazoo, Michigan/Kalamazoo Central) also competed, placing 44th in 14.44.
In the hammer throw, freshmen Ryan Johnson (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) and Jake McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) secured 27th and 33rd places with throws of 61.42m (201-6) and 60.08m (197-1).
Formula Thompson (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska) exceeded expectations in the long jump, placing 36th with a leap of 7.06m (23-2), and also competed in the triple jump, finishing 37th with a mark of 15.10m (49-6.50).
In the distance events, Ronnie Brandal (Huron, Ohio/Huron) ran the 800m, finishing 47th in 1:54.30, while Marcus Kemp (Kitchener, Ontario/St. Mary's Kitchener) placed 42nd in the 1,500m with a time of 3:48.95.
Women's Highlights
Three EMU women exceeded expectations, led by Esme Davies (Lake District, England/Queen Elizabeth Grammar School), who excelled in 10,000m and 5,000m events. Davies placed 29th in the 10,000m with a time of 33:52.15 and 32nd in the 5,000m with 16:28.12, improving upon her 40th and 33rd seeds.
Miranda Cadwell (Plainfield, Illinois/Plainfield South) achieved the highest finish for the Eagles' women, securing 17th place in the hammer throw with a mark of 59.15m (194-0).
On Saturday, Kyra Buffen (Columbus, Georgia/Buford/Benedict) finished 39th in the triple jump with a leap of 12.24m (40-2). At the same time, Anita Zaro (Timisoara, Romania/Faculty of Physical Education and Sport) improved her seeding in the 3,000m steeplechase, finishing 38th in 10:45.67.
