EMU hosts track and field championships for first time in 20 years

EMU welcomed an estimated 400 student-athletes from 13 schools in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and 700 spectators for the 2025 ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday. This was the first time EMU has hosted the championships since 2005.

The two-day event provided an exciting opportunity for EMU to showcase its new state-of-the-art track & field complex, which opened in October 2024. EMU’s facility is one of only a few in the ODAC that meets NCAA certification standards and is designed to host events in multiple configurations, allowing athletes to run, jump, or throw with the tailwind. The championships will return to EMU next spring as part of the university’s two-year agreement to host the event.

Kyle Dickinson, head coach of EMU’s track and field team, said hosting the ODAC championships gave many of his athletes the chance to compete in front of their friends and family for the first time. “It’s huge for us,” he said. “We’re showing other schools that EMU is investing heavily in our track program and that it’s paying off.” It’s also helped recruit athletes, who are eager to compete at the new facility.

EMU first-year Emma Greer competed in the women’s shot put on Friday and discus on Saturday. She said having the event at EMU gave her college friends the chance to support her from the stands. “It’s great we get to host it here,” she said, “because our track and field facility doesn’t get enough credit for how nice it is.” One of those friends, Kassidy Meadows, a first-year student, said that she’s visited several track and field venues and that EMU’s is the best she’s seen. 

Between competing in the men’s shot put and hammer throw, EMU sophomore Will Ramos took a quick breather. He said hosting the conference championships at home made a big difference, cutting down on travel and giving him more time to rest and recover. “I’ve felt nervous at past conference meets, but I feel right at home here,” he said.

EMU’s track and field team has achieved significant success in recent years, said Justin McIlwee, communications director for EMU Athletics. “We’ve had multiple national qualifiers and back-to-back All-Americans, so hosting this event offered us a chance to show off a little bit.”

On Saturday, EMU sophomore Nick Arnold earned the title of ODAC champion by winning the 400-meter hurdles. Arnold is the Royals’ first ODAC men’s individual champion since Alijah Johnson won the 200-meter dash in 2022. Read more at EMU Athletics.