HARRISONBURG, Va. – The athletes of EMU Track & Field were all over the place, competing in three different meets across two states. Most of the team stayed in Virginia, with a few distance runners racing on Friday at the Brant Tolsma Invitational at Liberty University and other event groups participated at the VMI Invitational in Lexington both Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, a small group of sprinters journeyed to the Buckeye State to go up against a deep field of DI, DII and DIII schools at the SPIRE Midwest Open in Geneva, Ohio.
Highlights (Brant Tolsma Invitational)
- DISTANCE/MID-DISTANCE
- 3000m Run: Bellamy Immanuel, a senior from Allentown, Pa., provided the highlight of the weekend for the Royals, breaking the school record in the 3000m with a time of 8:31.94. Immanuel ran just fast enough to surpass the previous school record of 8:32.62, set by Alec Thibodeaux back in 2017. In the process, Immanuel finished 10th against stout competition, beating several Division I runners.
Highlights (SPIRE Midwest OPEN)
- SPRINTS
- 60m Dash: Isaiah Reid qualified for the final, finishing sixth overall with a time of 7.06 in the prelims and 7.11 in the final. Damon Morgan placed 21st overall, breaking the tape in 7.16.
- 200m Dash: Reid sprinted his way to a time of 22.66, good for fourth in EMU history in the indoor 200m. Nick Arnold also cracked the top 10 list in the event with a time of 22.96, putting him ninth in school history.
- 400m Dash: Arnold came in eighth overall in a time of 50.62, which places him in a tie for ninth in the indoor 400m in EMU history.
Highlights (VMI Invitational)
- DISTANCE/MID-DISTANCE
- Mile Run: After his 3000m performance on Friday, Immanuel bounced right back for a fourth-place finish in the mile at VMI on Saturday. Immanuel clocked in at 4:20.68, just two second off of his personal best.
- SPRINTS
- 60m Dash: Da'Shawn Winters was the top Royal with a time of 7.20, while Ethan Lloyd set a new personal record of 7.37.
- 200m Dash: Lloyd PR'd in this event as well, sprinting one lap of the track in 23.63.
- 400m Dash: Winters represented the Royals with a time of 53.28.
- 60m Hurdles: Shaddai Bailey placed 14th overall, crossing the line in a time of 9.01.
- THROWS
- Shot Put: Grant Leichty was the top EMU thrower in the shot put, hurling the implement 12.28m (40'-3.5"). Christian Schmidt was not far behind with a mark of 11.92m (39'-1.25").
- Weight Throw: Leichty set a sizable PR of 13.70m (44'-11.5") to place 19th overall in the weight throw.
What's Next
The EMU Track & Field team will stick to just one meet next weekend, lacing up their racing shoes for the Bast-Cregger Multi Invitational, taking place on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1 at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.
