Marshall Track & Field Preview
By Ben Anderson, FM88 Sports
March 19, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WMUL-FM) — Rebecca Merritt has been the top thrower for Marshall Track & Field for the past few years, but her illustrious career came to a close at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships.
This paved the door for younger throwers such as junior and Huntington, W Va. native Markayla Moore to step up and take on the leadership role.
Moore said that the team will be forever grateful for the impact that Merritt and athletes before her left on the team.
“She’s definitely left her mark on all of us,” Moore said. “They were great women before her, like Mary (Maryann Adebayo). They just paved the way for us. They showed us the confidence and how to be a good teammate.”
Moore credited Maryann Adebayo’s leadership for her success.
“My freshman year when Mary took me under her wing, she showed me what is was like to actually be a D1 athlete,” Moore said. “On meets we went to bed at nine, woke up, got breakfast at six and we locked in for the rest of the day.”
“I’ve tried to instill that into the underclassman,” Moore said. “We are here to have fun but always have the mindset that you’re here for a reason. It’s a business trip as coach tell us.”
Moore now shifts her focus to the outdoor season with the goal of earning the Thundering Herd its first team Sun Belt Conference Championship.