East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Men's Track & Field throwers Ryan Johnson and Jake McEachern each earned U20 Individual Championships for their respective native countries. McEachern secured three gold medals by winning the hammer, discus, and shot put at the 2024 Bell Track & Field Trials in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from June 26-30.

McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) first won the U20 hammer throw at the Bell Trials with a 67.32m (220-08) toss on June 27. He followed that up by capturing gold in the discus the next day with a throw of 49.22m (161-05). He concluded his performance with another first-place finish in the shot put, achieving a top throw of 15.93m (52-02) on June 30.

The successful run for EMU's throwers began with Johnson (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) placing first in the hammer with a 71.06m (233-01) heave at the USA Track & Field U20 Championships held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene on June 13.

"These two {Johnson & McEachern} battled hard over their freshman seasons and to see both walk away with a combined four gold medals in the {USA & Canada} U20 championships along with all of their other achievements is a testament to their effort," said Assistant Coach Nick Green. "Both overcame their fair share of challenges during the competition and now get the opportunity to represent their home countries at the World U20 Championships. The level of pride is high right now but we'll be back to work here soon. The legacy continues."

Johnson earned All-MAC First Team honors in both indoor and outdoor seasons and was named Freshman Field Performer of the Year for both portions of the 2023-24 campaign. McEachern received an all-conference second team nod in the outdoor season with a second-place finish in the hammer behind Johnson, achieving a mark of 61.16m (208-10).

Both athletes have already placed themselves within EMU's program top-10 early in their careers. Johnson ranks second in program history for outdoor hammer throws with his best NCAA toss being 66.74m (218-11), while McEachern stands seventh at 63.65m (208-10). In indoor events, Johnson holds third place for weight throws at 22.24m (73-00), and McEachern ranks ninth with a launch of 19.60m (64-03).

Johnson and McEachern have competed on significant collegiate stages, including participation in the hammer throw at the NCAA East Prelims held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington from May 22-25.

Next up, Johnson will represent USA and McEachern will represent Canada at the U20 World Athletics Championship in Lima, Peru from August 27-31.

For updates on EMU cross country/track & field, visit EMUEagles.com or follow @EMUXC_TF on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

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