As the fall season approaches its conclusion, we must prepare to officially turn the page to a new chapter in Eastern Athletics. Basketball and track and field are set to begin their 2024-25 seasons soon. Basketball kicks off during the first week of November, while track and field kicks off their season in December. As we head into these new seasons with these four squads, we’ll cover where each team is at and who’s ready to feature their talents this winter.
Men’s basketball is coming off their best season in program history. They matched their program record of 21 wins, won their first conference championship in program history, and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. It’s going to be a tough season to top, especially given the fact that we lost four of our top six scorers from that team. Despite this, the team was selected as the favorite to win the MAC Commonwealth in the coaches poll released two weeks ago.
The main reason why (besides Widener losing five of their top six scorers): is the team’s ever-flowing fountain of young talent. They’re headlined by junior forward Zubair Lee, who established himself as a top player in the conference on both ends of the floor. The reigning MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year led the conference in rebounds and free throws made last season and was also second in scoring and blocks.
The rest of the lineup is flushed with depth. Senior Davin Hernandez and graduate Arkese Claiborne both return for their final seasons. They were both instrumental in the playoffs and will look to provide sparks with their scoring and defensive prowess. Junior forward Olise Onyeka is set to play a major role this season in the front court after coming off the bench last season. There’s also junior guard Nick Mate, who hit threes at a 35% clip last season. Juniors Brian Jackson and Zayd Lee should also see some more playing time in the frontcourt, and sophomores DaRon Sherman and Dominic Saragumba, who each got reps as backup point guard last year, also return to the fold. Junior Drew Rodgers, sophomore Roland Majors, and junior A.J. Williams, who joins the main squad after spending his first two years in DV, round out the front court.
Joining them are four freshmen looking to make immediate impacts. We’ve already seen just what Nico Pulleri can do after he dropped 17 points against Eastern’s DV squad while playing for The Phelps School. Josh Harris comes in with incredible athletic ability and, like Sarigumba, is a major threat for a poster dunk. Connor Fleet and Mikhi Ward will both look to get minutes in the backcourt after strong high school careers.
“I think we have a lot of guys that, even though they didn’t play a ton of minutes last year, saw what it took to become confident,” said Head Coach Dan Pruessner. “Even though we lost four guys, there’s a lot of these dudes that were here last year and a lot of these guys play huge roles, whether it was in practice or whether it was on the floor during games. So they know what it takes to get it done and I’m pretty confident they’ll do it.”
They will be tested early this season. Their non-conference schedule features a mix of teams that they have recently lost to and/or made the NCAA Tournament last season. The season opener against Roanoke, a rematch with Rowan, and a clash with the national runner-up in Hampden, Sydney are just a few of these early trials the Eagles will have to face.
“Our non-conference schedule is one of the hardest in the country,” said Pruessner. “We play probably at least three or four teams that are going to be in the top 25, so we’re going to get tested right away. It really comes down to how we’re going to respond to those tests because we will fail some of those, and it’s just going to be important to see how those guys respond to that.”
Women’s basketball saw tremendous growth across the board last year. In her first season as head coach, Sarah Fowler took a five-win team, doubled their win total, and came two minutes shy of clinching a postseason berth. This year, she’ll aim to surpass those feets, but she’ll have to do so with essentially a brand new roster – five of our top six scorers from last season are not returning.
There are some players from last year’s squad still here, though. Leading the way is junior Jeriyah Johnson, who led the team in scoring for each of her first two years as the primary point guard. There’s also senior guard Trinity Upton who established herself as a quality sixth-man playmaker last season, ranking third on the team in assists despite playing less than 20 minutes a game. Two more seniors, forward Tyerra Jarvis and guard Kayla Worsely Wooten, who’s set to make a return after missing all of last season, add a strong veteran presence to the lineup. Juniors Maiah Madison, Stephanie White, and Hope Gaithier also return for the 2024-25 campaign.
Track and Field is also set to start its season in December, though no polls have been released yet, but there are some important things to talk about. They are headlined by senior distance runner Hailey Shreffler, who had a career year last spring, not to mention a strong cross-country season in the fall. Last spring saw her win the conference title in the 1500-meter run, earn an All-Metro Region honor, be ranked as a top 20 runner in the nation and earn a spot in the Division III National Championships in the 800-meter run.
Full schedules for fall sports can be found on goeasterneagles.com
Josh Steen 
Savana Dodd 
Paul McConnell