Eagles set the pace in Mount Pleasant
The Eastern Michigan University track and field teams traveled to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to compete against the best of the Mid-American Conference in a high-stakes two-day event. By the end of the competition, the Eagles had asserted themselves as a dominant force in the distance and jumping events, collecting four individual titles and one relay crown.
Men’s performance: Distance dominance and freshman recognition
The EMU men’s team established its presence early on the first day of competition. The 4000m distance medley relay team, composed of Ronan Codyre, Michael Hawkins, Ty Dailey, and Jimmy Geller, delivered the Eagles' first title of the meet with a winning time of 10:04.50. This victory set the tone for a men's squad that remained in the top three of the team standings throughout the weekend.
Wiles’ double gold
The star of the track was undoubtedly Kian Wiles, who achieved a remarkable double gold on the final day of competition. Wiles dominated the middle-distance events, winning the mile in 4:07.31 before returning to the track to claim the 800-meter title with a time of 1:52.47. Wiles’ performance provided 20 crucial points toward the men’s team total and cemented his status as a premier conference runner.
Freshman of the year: Sam Vesperman
Adding to the accolades, Sam Vesperman was named the Co-Indoor Men’s Freshman Performer of the Year. Vesperman earned the honor after finishing fifth in the pole vault, clearing a height of 4.65m to score for the Eagles. He shared the prestigious award with Dominic Weatherly of the University at Buffalo.
Field event success
The men also excelled in jumping and throwing events. Gabe Oliveira captured the men’s triple jump crown with a mark of 15.30m. This followed a strong third-place finish in the long jump on Friday, where he posted a season-best mark of 7.26m. In the throwing circle, Lukas Ray secured a runner-up finish in the shot put with a toss of 16.42m, while Jake McEachern contributed a third-place finish in the weight throw with a reach of 19.56m (64-02.25).
Women’s highlights: Triple jump glory and podium relays
While the women’s team faced stiff competition, finishing eighth overall, they were highlighted by several elite individual efforts and program-record performances.
Taylor’s record-breaking jump
Mariah Taylor provided the standout moment for the women’s program by winning the triple jump title. Taylor achieved a personal-best mark of 12.69m, a distance that now stands as the third-best indoor mark in EMU history. Her performance was the sole individual title for the EMU women during the meet.
Podium Finishes and Preliminary Success
On the track, Josephine Oloye reached the podium with a third-place finish in the 400m, clocking in at 56.09. The women’s 4x400m relay team (Oloye, Alba Viñals Calixto, Uduak Udosoh, and Demetria Henderson) also secured a third-place finish, crossing the line in 3:45.72.
Other notable performances included Faith Moore, who took fourth in the weight throw with a personal-best toss of 18.46m (60-06.75). This mark moved her into the No. 4 spot on the EMU all-time list. Sophie Emin added points with a fourth-place finish in the 800m, and Jordynn Young placed fifth in the 60m dash.
Team standings and final scores
The men's team finished the weekend in third place with 98 points, trailing only Akron (169 points) and Kent State (141 points). They comfortably cleared fourth-place Buffalo (64 points) and fifth-place UMass (53 points).
The women’s team finished eighth with 40 points in a tightly contested field. Kent State took the women’s team title with 104 points, narrowly edging out Akron, who finished with 101 points.
The road to Arkansas
With the conference championships concluded, the Eagles now look toward the national stage. The indoor season will culminate with the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Participation lists for the national meet are expected to be released on March 3.
Should the indoor season conclude for the Eagles in Fayetteville, the programs will pivot to the outdoor season, which is scheduled to begin in late March with the Raleigh Relays and the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational. For now, the Eagles return to Ypsilanti with multiple individual crowns and a freshman award that signals a bright future for the program.
