December can be exciting for several, but the track and field circuit was recently set ablaze by an upcoming star. Wonder who we are talking about? Well, we’re referring to Eli Kosiba, of course! The GVSU jumper had an incredible 2024 season. Out of 11 meets in the year, the 22-year-old has mustered up seven podium finishes. For him, shattering records has slowly become the norm. The youngin even qualified for the Olympic Trials earlier this year.

Unfortunately, that didn’t bode too well for the high jumper. While he didn’t compete in any other meets after his stint at the historic Hayward Field, Kosiba turned heads at a recent track and field meet. In what would be considered his first meet since a disappointing show at the Trials, the 22-year-old made a triumphant comeback, proving himself as a formidable foe. What went down?

Eli Kosiba stuns the track and field world

On December 6, Grand Valley’s track and field squad began their indoor season at the GVSU Holiday Open. It truly is the season of giving because the meet witnessed numerous team records and personal bests. One of them happened to be by their very own. Track & Field Gazette shared the incredible feat on X with fans, captioned, “Eli Kosiba 🇺🇸 over a big Personal Best (PB) of 2.30m in the High Jump in December!!🔥He ties the NCAA D2 Indoor Record set almost 18 years ago.”

At the previous GVSU Holiday Open, the 22-year-old settled for a third-place finish with a height of 2.09m (6.10′). However, the high jumper wouldn’t settle for anything but the best this time. He raised the bar by clearing a height of 2.30 m (7.55′), tying the NCAA DII men’s indoor high jump record set in 2007. But that wasn’t it! He shattered the Kelly Family Sports Center record (2.25m), along with his own indoor record of 2.23m.

This wasn’t just any meet for the GVSU men’s and women’s track and field teams. As the teams looked forward to defending their GLIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship titles, they had to put their best foot forward at the GVSU Holiday Open. In fact, during the 2024 indoor season, the men’s team won their 23rd indoor conference title with 279 points. This also happened to be their sixth consecutive win. They also came off their second-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with 56.5 points. However, things weren’t as smooth sailing for the GVSU high jumper earlier this year. 

The 22-year-old’s chase for Olympic glory fell short

Leading up to the 2024 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, the GVSU high jumper placed sixth in indoor and outdoor. In fact, the track and field star held the Grand Valley State school record for high jump at 2.23 m along with Jaivon Harrison and Jonathan Rankins-James. But that’s not it!

Eli Kosiba also held the outdoor record at 2.28m, placing third on the U.S. outdoor list. Even though things looked promising for the 22-year-old, his performance at the NCAA D2 Championships left track and field fans reeling. He could only muster up a sixth-place finish with a shocking leap of 2.08m.

However, undeterred, the high jumper looked forward to punching his ticket to his first-ever Olympics. But alas, things didn’t go as expected. His leap of 2.14 in the event was only good enough for a ninth-place finish at the Trials. On the other hand, Kosiba redeemed himself with his recent accomplishment.

Even though this might be the beginning of the indoor season, his previous performances have proved that there is much more to expect in the coming days. Even though he failed to qualify at the Olympic Trials, he believed it couldn’t rain forever. Through the gloomy days, the track and field star continued to push and will keep working towards his greater goal—showcasing his best when it matters.