East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) cross country programs are set to commence their 2024 season at the 39th Annual Jeff Drenth Memorial, hosted by Central Michigan University at Shepherd High School in Shepherd, Mich., on Friday, Aug. 30. Both the men's and women's teams will compete in the 5k race, with the women's event starting at 11 a.m. and the men's following at 11:35 a.m.

Fans can visit EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap and full results.

Eastern Michigan Track & Field Co-Directors Chris Best and Sterling Roberts announced Austin Whitelaw as the new Head Men's Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track & Field Coach on Aug. 1. Whitelaw previously served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Connecticut from 2022 to 2024, after a year in similar roles at the University of Tennessee. During his tenure with UConn, he contributed to eight Big East Championships and helped mentor two NCAA Second Team All-America members.

Women's Head Coach Sue Parks returns for her 19th season leading the program. Under her guidance, EMU has secured five Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships consecutively from 2015 to 2019. Parks herself is a former MAC Champion from her time competing from 1976-78 for Eastern.

The women's team is ranked seventh in the Great Lakes Region in preseason rankings, making them one of six MAC teams to receive such recognition. They are second among MAC teams behind only the University of Toledo, which is ranked fourth.

Returning athletes for the women include All-MAC runners Paige Marchant and Marta Moreno. Marchant earned first-team honors with a fifth-place finish at last year's conference championships, while Moreno secured second-team honors by placing ninth.

On the men's side, eleven athletes return this season. Key returners include juniors Sam Peterson, Kian Wiles, Carson McCoy, Joey Furlong, and sophomore Lachlan Cornelius who finished in the top-25 at last year's MAC Championships.

The program welcomes fourteen freshmen this year—six men and eight women—including Eli Bechdel (Beaver Area), Jimmy Geller (Davenant Foundation School), Drew Graves (Henry Ford II), AJ Hawkins (Worthington Kilbourne), Donovan Johnson (Westerville Central), Nicolas Kline (Kenowa Hills) on the men's team; Anna Bathellier (College Les Sicardieres), Delphine Drath (Carl-Friedrich-Gauss-Schule-Hemmingen), Liv Hatch (Valparaiso), Cora Henderson (Courtice Secondary), Lucy Jones (Normanhurst School), Frankie Moore (Oakland Mills), Katie Rohrer (Charlevoix), Alynna Wilson (Lebanon) on the women's team.

Last year at Jeff Drenth Memorial both teams placed second overall with notable performances including top-10 finishes by several athletes such as Esme Davies and Tabatha Walford for women; Marcus Kemp led men’s performance finishing eighth followed by Peterson in ninth place.

The Eagles will next compete at George Dales Invitational hosted by Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on Sept. 20.

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

___