It was a weekend of split squads and shattered records for the Eastern Michigan University track and field programs as they dominated two separate invites across the Midwest. From the high-stakes atmosphere of the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame to the grueling multi-events at the Jet’s Pizza Invitational in Saginaw, the Eagles proved their depth, walking away with seven personal bests and three marks that rewrote the program's all-time top-10 lists.
Wiles joins the elite
The headline of the weekend belongs to Kian Wiles, who authored a performance for the ages in South Bend, Indiana. Competing in the Championship Mile at the Meyo Invitational, Wiles scorched the track with a blistering 3:59.78, earning an event win and officially breaking the prestigious four-minute barrier. Not only does this mark lead the Mid-American Conference (MAC), but it also cements Wiles as the No. 5 fastest miler in EMU history. To put the achievement in perspective, Wiles shaved over two seconds off his previous personal best of 4:01.84, set nearly a year ago.
The distance dominance didn't stop there. Drew Graves clocked a personal best of 1:22.71 in the 600m, while Ty Dailey powered through the open mile to set a new career mark of 4:10.78. On the women’s side, Sophie Emin continued her upward trajectory, shaving time off her 800m performance for the second consecutive week with a personal best of 2:12.66. Liv Hatch also joined the personal-best club, crossing the finish line in the mile at 5:01.90.
Multis make their mark in Saginaw
While the distance runners were flying in South Bend, EMU’s multi-event athletes were grinding through a two-day test of will at Saginaw Valley State University. Shamoya Clemetson led the charge for the women, securing a podium finish with a third-place overall standing in the pentathlon. Clemetson's 3,156-point performance was bolstered by a standout second-place finish in the long jump at 5.31m and third-place finishes in both the 60m hurdles and shot put.
The men’s heptathlon saw a double-edged assault on the record books by Cason Doolittle and Julien Badoo. Doolittle soared to an event win in the high jump on day one, clearing 1.86m, and finished the weekend with a day two score of 2,063 points—a mark high enough to earn him the No. 10 spot in Eastern Michigan history.
Meanwhile, Badoo continued his ascent in the pole vault. By clearing 4.00m, Badoo matched his personal best from the previous week and climbed from No. 10 to No. 8 on the program’s all-time list, tying a mark set by Gregor Harzer in 2010. Badoo’s weekend was a masterclass in consistency, as he also notched a personal best in the shot put with a throw of 10.27m.
What’s next?
With seven personal bests in the rearview mirror, the Eagles are peaking at the right time. The momentum from this two-meet weekend provides a massive boost as the team prepares to return to Ann Arbor for the third time this season.
The Eagles will compete in the Michigan Invitational on Saturday, February 7, with the first events scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. If this past weekend was any indication, the EMU record books might need more than a few updates before the indoor season is over.
