#6 All-Time has a nice ring to it🛎️
Catching up (again) with Utah school record holder Emily Venters
A lengthy and challenging journey, full of both highs and lows, has proved not to be enough to keep Utah’s Emily Venters from exceeding her potential. Over the weekend, the Lawrence, KS, native “stunned the nation” with the fastest time the NCAA has seen in ten years. Out in California, Stanford University to be exact, Venters made easy work of the loaded 10,000m field, running 31:48.35, fifteen seconds ahead of Utah Valley’s Everlyn Kemboi who finished runner-up. On Friday, Venters became just the eighth ever female athlete in collegiate history to break thirty-two minutes.
Venters’ journey to making history wasn’t an easy one by any means; it took an incredible amount of patience and self-belief for the former state champion to get to this very moment. In her time as a collegiate athlete, Venters has garnered three All-American honors, and since transferring to the University of Utah for graduate school, she has quickly become one of the best runners in the NCAA. During indoor competition, she posted PR’s of 15:20.37 and 8:58.50 in the 5k and 3k, as well as her first All-American finish on the track. In her final year of collegiate running, the former Firebird is leaving it all on the outdoor oval.
As someone who watched her run in high school, as well as someone who has been rooting for her since the beginning, I find her performance incredible at this level. Even if you were unfamiliar with Venters before you started reading this, she’s pretty easy to root for when you see how much all of this means to her.
In her post-race interview with RunnerSpace, which you can watch here, Venters was rightfully emotional and still processing what she had just accomplished. I can imagine that it was the combination of terrific fitness, healthy confidence and a great support system of Utes that is giving way for her historic career, but I think one of the biggest factors in favor of Venters is that she’s now able to simply run free.
In the midst of the busy schedule that comes from being an elite NCAA athlete and a graduate student, Emily thankfully set some time aside to answer a couple of questions to give us an insightful look into the best race of her career.
Congratulations Emily, you are now officially enshrined in NCAA history! You’re now faster than incredible athletes including Dom Scott, Karissa Schweizer, Jordan Hasay when they were your age. Can you describe how it feels to be included in a list with names like that, especially when you’re higher than them?
Thank you! Yea, I have a lot of emotions after that one…it was special to me. I think I just feel really honored and grateful to be among that list of names. Like so many amazing women in that list, who have not only all gone on to win US championships, and made world/olympic teams, but are people whom I’ve looked up to for a long time.
It’s been a journey to get to this place, and while it was really really dark at a lot of times, I am so glad I chose to never give up.
Can you walk us through your mindset before, during and after the race? What went through your mind as you decided to run the 10,000m last minute?
So, I decided to race at Stanford last Wednesday. Just after dealing with some emotional personal things and feeling like I needed a bit more time in between indoor nationals and the first outdoor race, I went back and forth with my coach on what to do. Ultimately, after a solid workout on Tuesday, we decided on Wednesday that I should go race the 5k. I was going into it just thinking of trying to run it comfortably and just to get a mark. After doing my pre-meet run on Thursday I was having second thoughts about what to race. I went to my coach at 7:30 pm that day and said “I think I should do the 10k actually.” He knows I am one of the most indecisive people and didn’t want me to be overthinking it or stressing…but, I was like, “No I’m not stressing, I just feel in my gut that I should do the 10k.” And that was the decision!
The day of the 10k I just went about my day as normal…went for a little shakeout, got some coffee, brunch, went shopping at Brandy Mellville, sat in the sunshine, watched Netflix, ya know the fun things! I just felt good energy all day and was calm and relaxed. I called my dad a couple hours before I left the hotel for the race and semi-jokingly was like “maybe I’ll run sub 32, that would be crazy!” Then I got to the meet, put on my headphones and listened to some of my favorite songs and was just feeling in a good mood. Watching Simone and Bella run before me also gave me some excitement as they both ran great in their respective races.
During the race I felt a way that I’ve never quite fully felt since I was a freshman in high school. I felt free. I was running with no doubts, fears, or insecurities in my mind. I didn’t let the announcers saying the pace or the lap splits get to my head. I simply was running like the young me used to…and it was an amazing feeling. Like to just be able to let go and run without letting my mind get in my way…is what made me emotional as I crossed the finish line. Additionally, seeing my coaches get emotional as well, made me tear up again. They’ve helped me more than they know throughout this comeback journey at Utah…I truly wouldn’t be where I am now without them, and I am forever thankful for them.
Throughout your career, you’ve had to endure more setbacks than a lot of other athletes may experience themselves, yet every time, you come out on the other side strong and poised? How have you learned to deal with adversity so well and continue focusing on what’s ahead?
It has been a rollercoaster of a time in the NCAA! Lots of highs, but also lots of lows. I think the thing that has gotten me through every time is my support system. I have the best friends, family, coaches, and support staff around me. Any time I have ever gone through a low point of my life or just a hard day, I could always count on them to help pull me through. Additionally, being able to open up with not only my friends and family, but also people in the running community, about my struggles has helped me immensely. Being vulnerable is hard, but I've learned that it can be one of the best ways to pull yourself through difficult times.
I know that post-collegiate running may not be something at the forefront of your mind right, but has the thought to pursue a professional career crossed your mind? If so, was there a turning point where that idea became more of a reality?
Yea…the process of navigating the professional running world has begun, and it’s really exciting! I think it became more of a reality that I was going to be able to really run professionally after running 15:20 for the 5k indoors. I knew that I could have some options after having a successful cross country season, but I wasn’t sure how many or if I would even want to do it. But now, I feel like it is what I am meant to do. I’ve loved running since I was young, and to get to now have the opportunity to do it as my career, is kind of surreal.
In your interview with RunnerSpace after the race, you were holding back tears at the beginning. Can you explain how much this race meant to you and how it affected you emotionally?
I mean, I never want to get on too high of a high, so I haven’t allowed myself to do that with this race…but, I will say this one really made me emotional. Like I said before, I felt like the young, naive, and brave Emily of age 13 was back. I’ve been working really hard on getting to this place again with running…where I can fully just be present in the moment and run for the love of it…and I definitely saw glimpses of it coming during indoor season…but, Friday it was fully there. And, I think now that I’ve remembered how to run like that again, I almost love the sport even more than ever before.
Also, just emotional, because I am running at a level I never ever thought I would reach after almost deciding to quit running altogether 2 years ago. The journey was not easy to get here, but truly, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I am now in a place where I feel I was meant to be. I am happy. I have an amazing coach. There are beautiful mountains surrounding me. I’ve grown and learned to be so much more than just a runner. And I have some of my best friends/teammates to do it all with.
I asked this a year ago, but I feel like it’s too good of a question to not ask again! If you could tell one thing to the younger generation of female distance runners, and athletes in general, what would you share with them?
Enjoy your life as a whole! Running is one part of it…and it doesn’t define your whole identity. There have been many times where I have allowed running to consume every ounce of who I am…but, in those times I’ve also been the unhappiest version of myself. So, when you do things that make you happy as a human, not just as a runner…that’s when you see success.
Cant’s spell Walion without W🥇
As someone who loves watching track & field, I can’t express how much I love what Spectrum Sports has done during these first two weeks of competition. Starting with the Olathe Preseason Spectacular, and most recently covering the Shawnee Mission South Relays, the team at Spectrum Sports has given us high-end quality high school track & field in back-to-back weeks. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to see how strong Parker Walion of Gardner-Edgerton closed in as he won the 1600m with a new state lead of 4:15.72. It was a battle between Walion and Andrew Hauser of Rock Bridge, with the junior Blazer charging back for a .22 second victory.
At one point, it looks as if Hauser had dropped both Walion and teammate Ian Kemey, but Walion never completely goes away, and reminds everybody of his closing ability over the last three hundred meters, ultimately catching and then holding off Hauser for the win. After a breakout track season a year ago, Walion is back and looks to be a 6A contender. This was a three second PR for Walion, who will look to inch as close to 4:10 as he possibly can over the next two months.
After a record-breaking indoor season, Clay Shively of Wichita-Trintity is already off and running, literally. In arguably his third best event, Shively ran the second fastest time in state history, and the fastest time since 1977, when Brent Steiner ran 8:43.59. Shively and Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Henry Born battled throughout the majority of the race, but in the later stages, Shively shifted gears and made his move, gradually distancing himself from Born, until he crossed the line fifteen seconds ahead of the Cougar. Shively made himself a household name during the indoor season and reiterated the fact that he is not going anywhere, running the fastest time in the country. His 8:50.75 also makes him just the sixth Kansas high schooler to ever dip under nine, joining Steiner, Randy Smith (Wichita East), Dylan Hodgson (Washington County), Reed Eichner (Shawnee Mission South) and Tanner Newkirk (Topeka-Hayden). Honestly I don’t know how much more we’ll see Shively in the 3200m, with his strongest event being the 1600m, but there is no doubt in my mind he could pull off the ‘Triple Crown’ at state if he wanted to. For now, all we can do is wait until he toes the line again and see how fast he goes.
Sunflower State Highlights🌻
Former Emporia State Hornet and St. Mary Spire Henry Rokusek announced on Instagram that he will be transferring to Baker University. Rokusek graduated from DeSoto High School in 2021, and comes in with collegiate PR’s of 4:25.97 in the mile and 4:12.41 in the 1500m.
Butler Community College’s Shawn Brown ran a WIND LEGAL 10.04 over the weekend, the fourth fastest time ran in the world this year. Brown ran 10.23 a year ago, and made a huge jump to start the outdoor season.
Chandler Gibbens finally had the breakthrough race he had been building to, running 13:28.71 in at the Stanford Invite. The original record was held by Jim Ryun from the 1960’s, where Ryun ran 13:47. This was thirty-one second PR for Gibbens, and the second fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Though he was runner-up, Shawnee Mission Northwest senior Henry Born ran a historically fast time at the Shawnee Mission South Relays. Born crossed the line in 9:05.44, the 12th fastest time in state history, and by far the fastest time before the end of May I’ve ever seen. He also broke Steve Fein’s record that had stayed standing since 1994.
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