Christopher becomes rare DI running commit from East Fairmont with commitment to Marshall
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (BVM) — It has been a while since the East Fairmont track & field or cross country teams have seen one of their runners move to the highest level of competition, with the most recent being former male athlete Tony Hayes going to nearby Marshall University back in 2013. On Jan. 10, senior Bees cross country and track runner Erykah Christopher became the newest East Fairmont runner to make the jump to the Division I ranks when she also committed to Marshall, signing her National Letter of Intent during a ceremony at the school.
鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 know the last person to get recruited at a DI school, but when I found out I was super proud and shocked,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淚t means a lot to me. I鈥檝e been working for it since freshman year and I always wanted to run at a DI school. I just hope to make my coach proud and hopefully it gets more people interested in East Fairmont鈥檚 running program.鈥�
Christopher, who is believed to be the first Bees female runner to go DI since 1999, has more than enough credentials to justify her advancement to Marshall. Over her four years at East Fairmont, Christopher established herself as one of the best distance runners in the state, winning the 2019 Class AA-A cross country individual championship while also finishing third place this past season and in the top five all four years.
鈥淸Winning state] was definitely the best thing that happened to me running wise,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淚t just felt like hard work paid off. Feeling like after all the hard work you put in and you don鈥檛 want to go out and run and it finally happens, it鈥檚 all worth it.鈥�
In addition to her top state finishes, Christopher also has three regional titles and a regional runner-up finish as well as three Big 10 Conference runner-up finishes and a third-place conference finish to her name.
As excellent as she was on the cross country courses, Christopher was nearly as good on the track. While she has only participated in two seasons of track, losing her junior season to the COVID-19 pandemic and awaiting her senior campaign, Christopher has earned a number of medals in her track career with two top-five finishes at state in the 1,600 meter, and one top-five finish each in the 800 meter, 3,200 meter and 4×800 meter dash. Christopher also medaled at the regional meet five times and the conference meet six times over her two seasons.
鈥淭o be able to end on a high note would be great,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淐ross country was great, but track is my favorite sport. Just being able to have one last track season and finishing out my track goals running wise would mean a lot.鈥�
While it may be a rarity for East Fairmont runners to go Division I, Christopher uses the special circumstances to give her more motivation to perform well at the next level.
鈥淚 want to represent East Fairmont well moving into college,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淛ust show people on the DI level you can come from any school and [size] doesn鈥檛 really matter.鈥�
Being an elite runner in the state, Christopher had many collegiate opportunities to continue her running career, but she felt most at home at Marshall. The university still allowed her to compete at the highest level while staying in her home state, but also giving her enough distance between her and her hometown to gain some independence during her college experience.
鈥淲hat it came down to was comfort and where I thought I would do the best and where I would have the best college experience,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淛ust being able to have my family come to meets more often means a lot to me as well.鈥�
The fact that Christopher has been added to the rarified air of Bees runners to make it to college鈥檚 highest level will not go unnoticed by her former school or her community. With the support of all Bees fans behind her and the motivation of carrying the program鈥檚 reputation with her, Christopher will set her sights on breaking more records and winning more awards at the next level.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely hoping to PR,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping I can make it into nationals that would be the best thing. I always want to drive to the top at whatever program I鈥檓 running with and just wanting to be the best, whether at East Fairmont or being the best on my college team, that鈥檚 my goal always.鈥�
If she is able to succeed, Christopher may well open the door for more East Fairmont runners at the next level and become the person Bees runners aspire to become.
鈥淚 just hope I can set a good example for them and make them want to take running as seriously as possible in the future,鈥� Christopher said. 鈥淚 would just love to be able to get people in the community excited about cross country and track. I hope people in East Fairmont in general can keep up with some of my running in college and really get excited about cross country.鈥�
