VESTAL, N.Y. – Annette Acuff, Binghamton's longtime cross country and distance coach, has made countless trips out to Hayward Field in Oregon over the years. Nothing, however, could prepare her for experience she had there this past Sunday evening. Acuff was in the stands to watch Emily Mackay race in the 1,500 finals at the United States Track & Field Association (USATF) Olympic Trials.

What Acuff witnessed from the stands was a historic moment in the history of Binghamton University and its Division of Athletics. Mackay qualified for the Paris Olympics by placing second overall in the 1,500 finals. The top three finishers in each event at the USATF Olympic Trials advanced to the Summer Olympic Games as part of the team from the United States.

At a press conference on campus Wednesday afternoon, Acuff talked about the magnitude of Mackay's accomplishments.

"This is a great accomplishment for Emily obviously and certainly for our track & field program, our athletic department and Binghamton University," Acuff said. "It's hard to put into words what this means – even for myself. I'm sure for Emily, it's still pretty surreal. It's a major accomplishment for so many people who have been involved in her success."

From 2017-22, Acuff coached Mackay at Binghamton University after she transferred from Oregon State. Originally from nearby Endicott, New York (where she graduated from Union-Endicott in 2016), Mackay developed into a five-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-American during her career with the Bearcats.

"Emily certainly developed a lot when she was here at Binghamton," Acuff said. "One of the things that has made Emily so good is that she is great at living in the moment. It's really her go-to. She has been able to develop incredibly well over the past seven years and has done a good job at buying into the process wherever she is. Emily has always been patient and has continued to challenge herself in areas that she needed more experience in. "

Mackay competed for Binghamton – and was coached by Acuff - at Hayward Field in both the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She was seventh overall in the 5,000 in 2021 and placed sixth in the 1,500 the following year.

Sunday's final of the 1,500 of the U.S. Olympic Trials came just 24 months after Mackay last competed for Binghamton. Since then, Mackay and Acuff have stayed in touch on a regular basis.

"Emily and I have continued to stay in touch," Acuff said. "One of my goals with Emily when she left Binghamton was that she had a really good transition in her first year at the professional level. I've just tried to be an additional mentor for her and to be there if she needed anything along the way. I know she is very thankful and appreciative of her time at Binghamton."

Mackay is not the first runner coached by Acuff to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. She was preceded by Eric van Ingen (2012) and Jesse Garn (2016). In addition, Eric Holt advanced to the semifinals of the men's 1,500 in both 2021 and this year. Up until this past weekend, however, no Binghamton athlete had ever qualified for the Summer Olympics in the track & field events.

Acuff chatted with Mackay before her race on Sunday night and was well aware of her strategy.

"I had a chance to be down on the infield with Emily before she competed so I kind of knew her strategy going in," she said. "Her goal was to conserve as much energy as she could those first 800 meters. From there, she did a really good job at reading and reacting to the race. As the race started to pick up, she was able to get off the rail and got in a very good position on the back stretch. Emily just executed that race perfectly."

Mackay signed professionally with New Balance Boston after she graduated from Binghamton in 2022. She has continued to flourish ever since. In 2023, Mackay became just the 13^th woman in American Track & Field history to break the four-minute mark in the 1,500. That same year, she earned the bronze medal while representing the United States in the 1,500 at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

Heading into the Olympic Trials, Mackay had already produced a standout year in 2024. Representing the United States, she earned the bronze medal in the 1,500 at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland back in March. Just three weeks before the Olympic Trials, Mackay clocked the fastest women's 800 time by an American runner this year at the Adrian Martinez Classic (1:57.87).

"Emily knew when she signed professionally that she needed more experience competing in the 1,500," Acuff said. "She was just getting started in the 1,500 her last year here at Binghamton. Things have really started to pay off for her in that event."

Acuff returning to Binghamton earlier this week to continue what has been an illustrious coaching career. Including Mackay, Garn and van Ingen, she has coached five USTFCCCA All-Americans in cross country and track & field.

This fall, Acuff will begin her 25^th year at Binghamton as the head cross country coach. She has also been the distance track coach throughout her career. The Binghamton women's cross country team is the defending America East champion while the men's squad has won a pair of conference titles during her career.

"I've been so glad to have been a part of so many runners' successes during my career," she said. "This past weekend was special but there have been so many other great moments during my time at Binghamton."