Emmalina Stevens enters her senior cross country season with familiar teammates, new additions to the roster and a clear goal in mind: getting back to the times she ran as a freshman.
Stevens, who qualified for the state meet last season after running a 21:05 at the Riley County regional, hopes to return to the 20-minute range while helping the Minneapolis girls team make another trip to state.
“I am most excited about this season is that we have the same girls returning from last year, plus two new girls joining us, which will help us reach our end goal,” Stevens said. “I am also excited to make new memories with my teammates, and ready to take on the new season challenges by working as a team to push ourselves to be our very best.”
Stevens has spent the offseason staying active through running while also preparing for Baton Twirling Nationals during the summer. She also found motivation in training alongside teammate Aubryn Just.
“This summer, I did a lot of summer running with one of my teammates, Aubryn Just,” Stevens said. “We both learned that it is so much better to run with a friend to keep each other company and help motivate ourselves to become better.”
As she prepares for her final high school season, Stevens said one of her biggest areas of focus is mental. She wants to trust the preparation she has put in and be willing to push herself when the opportunity presents itself during a race.
“Something I want to improve on this season is getting out of my head and trusting in the work I have put in,” Stevens said. “Also knowing when to push myself even more during a race to give myself the best possible time I can.”
Stevens has used motivational quotes as another way to stay focused during the offseason. One quote, in particular, has become a favorite.
Her favorite is, “Hard work beats talent,” attributed to Tim Notke.
That mindset will be important as Stevens pursues her goals for her senior season. She wants to return to the times she posted early in her high school career, qualify for state individually and help Minneapolis qualify as a team.
“A goal that I have for my senior year is getting my time back into the time I was running my freshman year,” Stevens said. “My goal is to run in the 20s again, and to qualify for state again individually and as a team.”
The return of Minneapolis’ state qualifiers from last season, along with two new runners, has Stevens optimistic about what the team can accomplish.
“Our team has all of the returning state qualifiers from last year, and plus two new girls joining us this year,” Stevens said. “So, I am excited to see what this season has in store for us, and I could not ask for a better team to do it with.”
Stevens also brings a team-first approach to her final season. Last year, she finished in the top 15 in each race and was recognized by her teammates as the person who was easiest to talk to and most likely to cheer on and support others.
She said she is always looking for feedback and opportunities to improve, while also encouraging her teammates to do the same.
“I am always wanting feedback, to get better, and I will always try to push my teammates so that we are all improving to get better,” Stevens said.
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