Emmett Engelhardt is a talented runner for the school’s athletic program. He contributes to several sports offered at the school, including cross country, basketball, and spring track. As a senior, he has committed to perfecting his skills while putting in the tremendous work required. Engelhardt’s dedication and story will not be forgotten when he leaves for college to continue to his future. His commitment will inspire the first-year students and show them what it takes to compete at the next level.
Engelhardt is a standout runner who has captured the attention of the local sports community around the school and the Arlington community. Throughout the 2024 cross-country season for the school team, Engelhardt has consistently placed first in most races. With his strategic strategies and speed, Engelhardt has also set several records this past 2024 season. This has caused many universities to be interested in recruiting him for running.
As such a great athlete, he inspires students to wonder how he became so skilled, motivating them to improve in their sports.“I first started running in eighth grade, [and] I wasn’t very good at first, but I stuck with it for another year and got [considerably] better,” Engelhardt said.
Engelhardt, following his eighth-grade season for the team, was just the beginning; he continued to put the time and effort into improving as his skills were built slowly; there is lots of work behind the scenes to perform at your best.
“I run pretty much every day during the summer and fall, doing track workouts twice a week and trail runs 4-5 times per week,” Engelhardt said.
Engelhardt not only had to train and compete continuously but also had to balance his academics. Playing sports during high school is challenging for anyone, but especially for Engelhardt, as he practiced and played a sport all three seasons.
“I make a schedule and adhere to it as strictly as possible and manage my time effectively,” Engelhardt said.
Running races are tough, especially the preparation before and the focus during one. It is important to set goals to push yourself as giving up while running is very easy, and have a clear tactic while running, as that can keep you focused as an athlete.
“I tend to set goals centered around [running] times, and I try to replicate that pace in the workouts,” Engelhardt said. “I prepare for races by having a clear race plan each time, specifically tailored to the demands of my competition and the course. When someone is in front of me, it’s rather easy to stay focused, but when I’m in front, I try to feed [off] the energy of the crowd and stay locked in.”
As an athlete, receiving a lot of success for their performance, also comes with many accomplishments that are highlighted by their journey and hard work.
“A proud moment I have is winning the county championship meet; that had been one of my biggest goals of the last few years,” Engelhardt said.
Due to Engelhardt’s success and accomplishment of goals throughout his high school cross country year, with the dedication and practice he put in, he has opportunities to take his running to the next level and support a school of his choice.
“I am talking to a few schools right now and [emailing] a few more coaches depending on how this season goes,” Engelhardt said.
Engelhardt has persevered through the challenges, learned to grow, and developed along the process. According to Engelhardt, his initial running year did not take the jump he hoped for; however, that never led him to quit. Instead, he began to work harder to reach his final goals and become the best. The challenges of sports are no joke; they require an immense amount of
time and effort, but with the right mindset, any sports dream can be possible. This truth was exemplified with Engelhardt’s story.“My eighth-grade season, I was one of the worst on the team,” Engelhardt said. “I wanted to get better, so I kept training and got better and better. Even if you don’t have immediate success, keep working, and results will follow.”
