Senior Emma East has been in Cross Country since seventh grade and Track and Field since her first year of high school.

According to Emma, she previously participated in Girls on the Run during fifth grade. According to that program’s website, it focuses on female empowerment and encouraging physical activity. She said the program was the reason she began running in middle and high school.

Emma said that running has been a big stress reliever for her and gives her time to reflect.

“When I’m not running, I don’t feel like myself,” Emma said. “Running is something that I can rely on.”

Emma said she doesn’t prefer cross country or track more than the other, but thinks there’s benefits to both. She said she likes the familial and personal aspects of cross county, but also enjoys the confidence she gets in track when people cheer for her.

“Running in cross country is a very personal thing since you’re usually by yourself,” said Emma. “You don’t have people cheering for you, and you’re in your own head and have to figure it out yourself.”

Emma added that while she loves cross country and her team, she doesn’t like the three-mile events that come with the sport. She said that she prefers certain events in track, such as the 4×8, and finds them fun, but added that track doesn’t have the same “family” aspect as cross-country.

According to Emma, an obstacle she faced in cross country was when she had shin splints during her freshman year. She said that the injury messed up her running form, and she couldn’t compete for the rest of that year.

“It was hard to get back into running after that,” Emma said. “Especially when it came to doing long periods of it.”

Emma added that she dislikes running in the cold or being too sweaty and that these are her least favorite parts about the activity.

Emma said she thinks cross country hasn’t been exciting this year and that she could’ve performed a lot better. She added that she still made great memories over the year.

Emma said that her favorite experiences have been on the cross country camping trips that occur over the summer.

“They’re great bonding experiences,” said Emma.

According to Emma, Cross Country Coach Jonathan Dick has been a huge motivator for her and is a great person to talk to.

“He always knows the right thing to say to get you going,” said Emma. “I feel like I can talk to him about anything.”

According to Coach Dick, Emma is a goal-oriented student, who regularly motivates her team.

“She’s very kind, down to earth, and responsible,” said Coach Dick. “She’s one of my favorite people.”

Coach Dick said that his favorite memory of Emma was during the past season of cross country. He said there was a hill workout that the team had to do, and Emma pushed herself to complete it.

“Just thinking how hard she was doing the workout will always put a smile on my face,” said Coach Dick.

Emma added that Instructional and Cross Country Coach Janna Bond is someone that she also looks up to.

“She’s like the mom of cross country, and you can talk to her about anything,” said Emma.

When she’s not engaged in races or laps, Emma said she works as a waiter at Good Wil’s Restaurant in Montandon or hangs out with her friends.

She said that she loves animals and hopes to do something zoology related in the future.

She added that she was recently accepted at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown and wants to continue running with their Cross Country Track and Field team.

“I definitely want to continue running in the future,” Emma said. “Running has really helped me improve as a person and increased my self-confidence.”