Emma’s senior year track season was a roller coaster of emotions filled with some challenges and some very exciting accomplishments. She started out her season in peak shape, having run over the winter with Kokopelli and raced in the UW Indoor track meet. The season started out a little slow but she overcame some obstacles and had her best track season ever. She had lots of PR's as well as some 1st and 2nd place finishes. She broke her high school record twice in the 3200m and qualified for both the 3200m and the 1600m in the State Track and Field Championship races. 

MEET #1  - LEGEND TITAN TRACK CLASH
APRIL 5, 2024
1600M - 5:20.36 (1st place)

The first race of the season is always a tough one because the racing legs are not quite there yet. Emma showed up for her first race of the season all ready to rock. A few other fast runners were at the meet from Niwot and Cherry Creek. Emma was seeded 4th and placed 1st place, passing the girl from Niwot on the last 100m of the race. Even though her time wasn’t as fast as she would’ve liked, it was a good start to the beginning of the season.

MEET #2 - POMONA INVITATIONAL
APRIL 12-13, 2024
1600M - 5:23.69
3200M - 11:07.05 (2nd place)

Two-day meets are tough, especially when you are traveling to Denver both days to race. Emma ran in the 3200m on Friday evening around 7:30pm and crushed this race. She is definitely a stronger runner in the 3200m. She was seeded 4th and turned in a 2nd place finish, tying her time from the State race the previous year. I think even she surprised herself with how well she ran that race. 
 
The following day we headed back up to Jeffco Stadium in Denver so she could run in the 1600m. A combination of nerves and fatigue set in and she wasn’t able to perform the way she wanted to in that race. She was a few seconds slower than the week before and that was hard to swallow. Still, on tired legs she ran the best she could for that race.

MEET #3 - LIBERTY BELL INVITATIONAL
APRIL 26, 2024
3200M - 11:05.92 (1st place)

This was such an interesting race up at Echo Park Stadium. The weather was already starting to turn colder, and the rain made for a slick track. Mike volunteered and was one of the ones pushing as much water off the inside lane of the track as possible. Even though it was cold and rainy, Emma ran such an amazing race. She and the 1st seeded girl from Heritage HS were neck and neck the entire race. By lap 6 Emma realized that their pace was not fast enough, so she picked up the pace for the last 2 laps and tied her previous PR and placed 1st. It was a remarkable race to watch and one that I will never forget. 
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​MEET #4 - CHERRY CREEK INVITATIONAL
MAY 4, 2024
1600M - 5:07.16 (2nd place)

With the state meet on the horizon a good qualifying time was on everyone’s mind for the 1600m. Emma choose to run just the 1600m this weekend so that she could focus on getting a good enough time to qualify for the State Championships. There were a few other girls from Cherry Creek HS who were doing the same thing. Emma was able to go from a 5th seeded place to finishing in 2nd place with a new PR of 5:07. 

​MEET #5 - JOHN TATE ELITE
MAY 11, 2024
3200M - 10:54.98 (1st place)

It’s been an interesting several weeks of cancelled meets on Friday nights due to weather, only to turn around the next day and drive to a different meet. Fortunately, her last couple of meets have been her best. Today we witnessed the most incredible race Emma has ever run. She came into the 3200m today knowing that she needed to break 11 min in order to qualify for the State Championships next week. This race was not a competitive meet at all and there were no girls anywhere close to her pace. The competitive meet happened last night north of Denver and her coaches decided not to sign up for that meet this year. She had lots of support today, which was awesome. Her HS coaches and her club coach were all out there doing what they could to keep her on pace. It was fantastic to watch! Emma finished in 10:54.98, broke her school record by 6 sec and is now seeded 15th for state and will be running next Thursday in that race. What was so impressive about this race was the sheer grit and determination Emma had to run this race fast all on her own. Way to go Emma.

Lapping all of the other girls

Emma and coach Lisa Rainsburger

​MEET #6 - CO STATE TRACK MEET
MAY 16-17, 2024
3200M - 10:51.23 (9th place)
1600M - 5:04.36 (14th place)

The celebrations continue as we watched Emma run in the Colorado State Track and Field Championships this morning for the 3200m. She was seeded 14th and came in 9th for a podium finish in 10:51. This is a new PR for her just 5 days after her last PR. Just to put this race in perspective, the top 18 girls in CO for 5A all had sub 11 times coming into this race today. The race was held at Jeffco stadium which sits at 5,551 ft. Needless to say, making the state meet in CO for the 5A division is tough. Emma ran another excellent race. The start was crazy with many girls almost flinching over the line before the gun went off because the starter took forever. Then right after the gun went off a girl next to Emma spiked Emma’s shin on accident and a few seconds later that girl lost her shoe. That girl ran the entire race with only one shoe. The front pack took the pace out way faster than most of those girls probably wanted. First lap was around a 74. By the first mile Emma was sitting in the middle of the pack and had well under a sub 11 time in her pocket. She kept clipping away to grab that 9th place finish after passing a girl on the last lap. It was amazing to watch her strength and grit. This girl knows how to get it done and I’m so proud of her for running such a strong race. It was so fun to have the grandparents in town to watch her run today!

MEET #7 - RUNNING LANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS (HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA)
MAY 25, 2024
​1600M - 5:00.74 (12th place)


Emma headed to Running Lane in Huntsville, AL with the Kokopelli team. She was really hoping for a sub 5 min 1600m time and was super close. She finished the race in 5:00.74. She was so devasted at missing it by only 1 second. She did run her little heart out, busting her dragonflies by the end of the race. She even ran into an old friend of ours from our Dupont days who gave her a big hug. Even though she was upset by her performance, she still managed to get a PR and finish out her high school running career with a bang! 

​The UW track meet was especially fun, and I am so grateful to have been able to go out and run at such a fast meet. This year I really enjoyed the trip. This is mostly due to the fact that the people I went with were absolutely amazing. It was mostly Coronado people, plus a few others and me. I roomed with Jade and Keegan which was just so fun! When we got to Washington we took the tram to the main part of the UW campus where we stopped by our hotel and eventually went on a run. That night we also got to go watch all the college athletes at the UW collegiate meet. This was cool because I got to see old teammates, and the BYU XC and track team. We then went to Chipotle and eventually back to the hotel. On the following night I ran the 3k which was more stressful than it was last year. I still think I did pretty good considering the competition. I really enjoyed running the 3k and couldn’t wait to race the 1600 the following day. Because my time was right on the cusp of the fastest group I was placed in the second to last group. This meant that I had to lead. Although I ended up getting passed within the last 300 meters, I learned a powerful lesson in strategy from leading. Overall, I am happy with my race considering I was going for time. 

​EMMA’S TRACK MEET #1 – BANANA BELT CLASSIC
MARCH 11, 2023
 
Emma’s first track meet was down in Pueblo at Dutch Clark Stadium where she ran the 3200m. These aren’t my favorite track meets early in the season because there is no competition for the distance runners. Emma’s goal was to get under 11:15 which would give her a pretty hefty PR. She and I figured out her splits and came up with hand motions for me to give her after each lap so that she would know if she was on pace. It’s too bad we can’t rely on the coaches to help her out. They all don’t seem to know how to coach her which is why we hired her club coach during the season to give her workouts and tell her what races to run during the season. Emma crushed this race, beating the next girl by 1 min and 15 sec!. She got a huge PR, finishing 1st in 11:12.27. If this wasn’t amazing enough, she also got nominated shortly after by Mile split as one of the top 5 female performers in CO for that week. After a week of voting, she ended up as the 2nd most voted. Way to go Emma! This was a great start to her official HS track season.

EMMA’S TRACK MEET #2 – LARRY PICKERING INVITATIONAL
MARCH 18, 2023
 
Well, it was another amazing race by Emma today! She ran the 1600m this week and was only seeded 5th since her previous times have never been that competitive. She knew the #1 seeded girl broke 5 last year so she had her sights on that girl. The goal today was to break 5:15 which would give her a 15 sec PR. She ran a smart race, running right with that girl for the first lap, a little behind her on lap 2 and 3 and then on the 4th lap she started to pick up the pace. At the last curve she pushed it into high gear after listening to her head coach’s words of encouragement. By the 100m mark she was right in line with the other girl and just like that she passed her and kept going to finish 1st in a time of 5:11!!! It was incredible! We were all stunned and so proud. I’m still in awe at what she did today and how much time she has cut already this year. Way to go Emma!!!

EMMA’S TRACK. MEET #3 – POMONA INVITATIONAL
APRIL 14-15, 2023

After driving over an hour to this track meet in Denver and battling the snow, wind, and rain to get there, we hunkered down in the car while Emma went back and forth between the team tent and our car. Eventually they took down the tent and had all the athletes sit in the bus to stay warm. Despite the crazy weather conditions, this meet was an exciting one to watch as she ran against some of the top distance runners in Colorado. Although she was a little frazzled before the race with where to check in, when she stepped up to the starting line she was focused. Luckily the snow and rain had stopped when the race started. She shot out and just like that she was running faster than she did during the first 3200m of the season. She ran this race in 11:05.54 which was a new PR. Afterwards she quickly cooled down and then we headed to get her some dinner before heading back home in the rain and snow. We helped her repack her bag for the next day's race and all went straight to bed.

The next day we headed back up to Jeffco stadium to watch Emma run in the 1600m. After not a great nights sleep and tired legs, Emma struggled during this race. For the first lap or so she was right on target but by lap 3 she had lost that mental focus and she just ran to finish. It definitely wasn't her best time but it also wasn't her worst time. This race was a learning experience for her and one in which she needed to not repeat. 
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EMMA'S TRACK MEET #6 - ST. VRAIN INVITATIONAL
​MAY 12, 2023

​As the last meet of the season to qualify for state, Emma entered the 1600m race. She needed at least a 5:05 to qualify for the extremely competitive 1600m field this year. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to pull that off this race. She was extremely disappointed in herself this race, even though she gave it her best with the energy and will power she had for that day. She expended too much energy getting pushed around to the second lane and then getting stuck behind slower runners. This race is so fast and short that there isn’t any time for the field of girls to spread out. It’s always so hard to run with that much pressure on the line. We were so proud of her for pushing herself and still getting her 2nd best time of the season with a 5:11.90. This time would’ve qualified her for state last year. For some reason this year is ultra-competitive. At least she has one more year to qualify for state in the 1600m. 

EMMA’S TRACK. MEET #7 - CO 5A STATE TRACK MEET
MAY 19, 2023

If there is any race that has incredible amounts of pressure it is the state race. As Emma’s official first solo event for state in track and field, she was both excited and nervous. With only the top 18 girls to qualify in each event, she was fortunate enough to qualify early in the season for the 3200m. Seeded 15th, she went out with the pack of girls who all stuck together for the first mile. During the second mile is where things got interesting. The lead pack took off and ran that second mile faster than the first while the second pack was just trying to hold the pace they were already running. Emma didn’t get the time she wanted, but she did manage to come in 14th which was one place higher than her seeded place and was only shy of her PR by 2 seconds. She ran this race in 11:07.63. I have no doubt that next year she will achieve her goal of breaking 11 minutes. 
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​Season Results:
 
The Banana Belt Classic
Dutch Clark Stadium, Pueblo
3200M – 11:12.27
March 11, 2023
 
Larry Pickering Centennial Invitational
Dutch Clark Stadium, Pueblo
1600m – 5:11.92
March 18, 2023
 
The Pomona Invitational
Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
3200m – 11:05.54
1600m – 5:32.06
April 14-15, 2023
 
Cougar Classic Invitational
Garry Berry Stadium, Colorado Springs
1600m – 5:23.65
April 28, 2023
 
Doherty Spartan Invitational
Garry Berry Stadium, Colorado Springs
1600m – 5:10.98
May 6, 2023
 
HOKA St. Vrain Invitational
Everly-Montgomery Field, Longmont
1600m – 5:11.90
May 12, 2023
 
 
Colorado State Track and Field Championships
Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
3200m – 11:07.63
May 19, 2023

​It’s officially still the off season for Emma with her running but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t working hard and pushing herself towards some amazing goals for her upcoming races. Her first indoor race of the season was at AFA where she ran the one-mile race. Her performance was phenomenal even though this race was only intended to be a kick start race to get her leg turnover figured out before the next race. She ended up placing 5th and got a PR of 5:31.77 (the top 5 were all within 3 sec of each other) even though she died a bit on the last lap and lost two places. Her upper body and arms were severely tired which meant that she will need to focus more on upper body strength throughout her upcoming HS track season. Still, she learned that she has to stay mentally strong even when her body isn’t feeling it. It was a great reminder for her as she focuses her mind on track running. At the end of the day, you only become a better runner by learning from each race. 

​Emma is truly an amazing and gifted runner. She had an incredible season and PRd several times for the 3200m at elevation and finally got a new PR in the 1600m during the last meet. She was told by her coaches that she was the most mature freshman distance runner they have ever had. She ran smart, ran her own race, and was consistent throughout the season. She didn’t let the paces of other girls throw her off her game. It was so fun being able to watch that fire in her eyes during this season. With an extended season into the summer, she started to feel a little burned out and struggled during meets 5 and 6. They were not her best races (although still amazing times) but she showed up to her last meet ready to run hard. She came away with a new PR in the 1600m and ran that in 5:29.37. She beat not only my 3200m time several times during the season but finally beat my 1600m time which was her goal for this season. Her PR in the 3200m at sea level was 11:45.87 (Nike Chandler Invite) and 11:47.02 at elevation (Fountain Fort Carson Invitational). I made it to every meet except for the last one and that one I was able to watch on Livestream. Running in a competitive field and at the 5A level, Emma didn’t qualify for State for any individual events, but she was asked to be an alternate for the 4x800m relay team. She loved being able to attend the state meet with some of her teammates to cheer them on. It won’t be long before she is at the state meet running in the 3200m. 
 
3200m
11:45.87 NIKE Chandler Rotary Invite (PR sea level)
12:18.76 Valor Early Qualifier
11:51.78 Broomfield Shootout
11:47.02 Fountain Fort Carson Invitational (PR elevation)
12:18.41 PPAC League Meet
​11:57.12 Liberty Bell Invitational
11:51.53 St. Vrain Invitational
 
1600m
5:31.34 NIKE Chandler Rotary Invite
5:34.75 Fountain Fort Carson Invitational
5:32.17 Petrelli and Hunt Invitational
5:37.28 PPAC League Meet
5:29.37 St. Vrain Invitational (PR elevation)

This race ended up being Emma's elevation PR for the 3200m. She made her move on lap 7 and passed most of the front pack, including her teammate, to come in 2nd overall for the race.

This is where she made her move and passed her teammates and came in 5th overall

Holding her own during a meet where she wasn't feeling great. She managed to stay up with this front pack and even PR'd from the week before. Amazing!

Emma's first meet was up at Lewis Palmer MS where she ran the 1600, 800, and medley relay. I brought Madeline with me and we had a great time cheering on Emma and her teammates. Emma did well in her individual events but the highlight of this meet was when she passed a girl from another team on the last 50m of the medley relay.  She was so excited that she outran her competition on the last stretch of the race. After the first meet that took over 2 hours we decided it was best if Emma dropped the medley relay and just focused on the 1600m and 800m races.  She did well in both races, taking off time during each of the meets. During the meet at Elizabeth HS Emma got a PR of 6:02 in the mile. She cut 20 seconds off her time from the second meet. She was so excited for the last meet which was the championship track meet. Only the top runners and field athletes were asked to participate in this meet. Her main goal was to break 6 minutes in the mile. She totally did it! She ran the mile in 5:59. It was a great way to end her track season!
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MEET 1 - LEWIS PALMER
​APRIL 9, 2019
1600 - 6:24
800 - 2:43

MEET 2 - CHALLENGER MS
​APRIL 16, 2019
1600 - 6:22
​800 - 2:41

​MEET 3 - ELIZABETH HS
​APRIL 23, 2019
1600 - 6:02
800 - 2:40

​MEET 4 - D20 STADIUM (CHAMPIONSHIP RACE)
​MAY 3, 2019
1600 - 5:59
​800 - 2:38