This season has been triumphant for JHS’s Emma Chelsvig. On Saturday November 2, Chelsvig placed 8th in the cross country sectionals meet in Decatur, qualifying for the IHSA State Finals. She needed to be one of the top ten finishers to advance to the next level of competition. As a junior, this was Emma’s second consecutive year qualifying for state.
To mentally and physically prepare for the race, Emma continued her regular training and did her best to remain calm and control her nerves. Her strategy going into the race was to relax and “just run,” saying “I’m nervous!”
The State Finals took place last Saturday in Peoria. Chelsvig proudly placed 34th with a time of 18:30. Chelsvig said it was crucial to get ahead early in the race so as not to get boxed in by the large number of runners. Although she had a slower third mile, she had a strong race overall, picking up a lot of girls along the way.
Last year Chelsvig placed 72nd and it was her personal goal to make All-State this year by reaching the top 30. Narrowly missing this goal, Chelsvig significantly improved her previous performance by an impressive 38 places. Chelsvig’s hard work and determination have paid off, allowing her to have a successful season and a positive end note.
Being a focused and extremely dedicated athlete, Chelsvig already has plans to further improve her times. Next weekend, Chelsvig will participate in a Nationals meet in Indiana with various runners she has met from other teams. This will allow her to challenge herself with strong teammates in a very competitive race.
Emma Chelsvig has had consistent performances throughout her high school career and has earned her way to the top of the runners in the area. After such a remarkable performance, there are high hopes for a repeat return to state next year for Emma Chelsvig.