The Eastern Michigan University men’s and women’s track and field teams were in Allendale, MI on Friday, Feb. 10, at Grand Valley State University to compete in the GVSU Big Meet where the men took four top-five finishes along with three personal bests, while the women recorded three top-10 finishes and saw five personal bests as a unit.
For the men’s team, graduate student Newlyn Stephenson led the way for the Eagles and won the weight throw with a distance of 22.51 meters. Stephenson set the school record in the weight throw at the 2022 MAC Invitational with a toss of 23.22 meters on Jan. 22, 2022.
Senior Eddie Zuercher would place second in the early section of the 3,000-meter run and record a personal best time of 8:24.30, fellow senior Dahndray Holmes would finish third in the long jump with a leap of 6.25 meters, rounding out the top-five finishes for the men would be freshman distance runner Sam Peterson, who would take fifth in the mile and log a personal best time of 4:11.56 in the process. Freshman Grant Sweningson also finished the mile with a new personal best time of 4:16.82.
The women’s side of the event saw junior Miranda Caldwell secure two top-ten finishes for the women. Caldwell claimed the fifth spot in the weight throw event with a toss of 17.91 meters, as well as the eighth spot in the shot put with a heave of 13.05 meters. Sophomore Nyla Joseph-Guevara would also secure a top-ten finish with a 5.28-meter jump that earned her seventh place in the long jump.
Personal bests from the women's team would come in the form of sophomore Maleah Scott’s 1:40.88 600-meter dash time and shot-put throw of 10.02 meters, graduate student Julia Pleskaczynska’s 2:15.59 800-meter dash finish, freshman Kayla Muir’s 5000 meter run time of 19:19.38, and fellow freshman Aleah Johnson’s new best throw of 15.03 meters in the weight toss.
Next up, the Eagles track and field squads will compete in the Silverstein Invitational at the University of Michigan in neighboring Ann Arbor on Friday, Feb. 17, with a start time yet to be determined.
For more information on the Eastern Michigan University men’s and women’s track and field teams, visit EMUeagles.com.
