“It shows that all the hard work I put into running has paid off. I’m proud of myself,” said Emerson.
Cross-country runner and Division 1 commit, Emerson Skatell, has left her mark on the Greater Latrobe trail. The runner secured her place in the record books as a junior, being the first cross-country runner to medal at states since 2008. The cross-country star wasn’t done after her 20th-place finish in 2023, as this was her third trip to the PIAA Championship, and during her senior season, she made it four. The senior was able to find success once again finishing 18th at the 2024 Championships in Hershey.
“I didn’t know what I was capable of doing,” Emerson said.
Emerson wasn’t serious about cross-country until her freshman year when she realized she had a natural talent for running. The athlete began her career in sixth grade when she joined Girls on the Run, a national non-profit organization whose goal is to inspire girls to recognize and embrace their inner strength through running. Emerson Skatell attended Mountain View Elementary School and the teachers in charge were Mrs Glessner and Mrs Schimizzi. This was the cross-country star’s first experience running a 5k. “I just went from there and fell in love with it,” said Emerson.
While the runner’s first experience was at her elementary school, she also got a lot of encouragement from her family, who have supported her since the very beginning. Emerson’s dad and sister are both runners and played a huge part in getting her into running. Her sister McKenna, a Greater Latrobe graduate of 2021, competed on the cross-country team in high school. McKenna was able to find success just like her sister. In her freshman year, the team won counties and during her sophomore year, McKenna almost qualified for states but fell short. After these seasons, she struggled with injuries throughout the rest of her career.
“I would run with them and I used to be slower than them and now I’m faster than both of them. They’re two people that got me to love the sport,” Emerson said.
Emerson was in contact with a multitude of coaches throughout her recruitment process. The runner would update each coach with her season and how she was running. Eventually, she went on a couple of official visits before narrowing her options to the top three: Lehigh University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Delaware, but she was also interested in Quinnipiac University and Bucknell University. The cross-country runner looked into each school’s team to see where she stacked up. “I compared my times with some of their girls’ times and they were pretty similar, so I knew I would be okay on the team,” said Emerson.
On November 14, 2024, Emerson announced her commitment to Lehigh University. An array of factors went into the cross-country star’s decision, but the people at Lehigh had the biggest influence on her decision. When the cross-country star visited Lehigh, she got to meet her future coaches and teammates. The runner described the coaches as “amazing and supportive”, and spoke even higher of her teammates saying they were “nice and welcoming”. On top of the great people Emerson met, Lehigh also has a major for her intended career in the medical field. “Overall it felt like the perfect fit,” Emerson said.
The distance runner is looking forward to the next chapter in her career, but she still has hesitations about leaving high school behind. Emerson has built a strong connection with her teammates and she isn’t ready to give that up. She’s felt an abundance of support from her current coaches and teammates alike, to the point that the athlete considers them to be family. “I’m excited to move on from high school, but I’m also going to miss my team and all my friends here,” said Emerson.
For most high school seniors, the transition from high school to college comes with apprehension and anticipation, and Emerson is no different. The runner is ready for the change of pace but also has her concerns. She knows that her time management will be crucial when balancing the load of running and school work. The student-athlete acknowledges that she’ll be granted a lot more free time, but has confidence that she’ll overcome any challenges with a couple of weeks of experience, which makes her all the more ready. “I am excited to start a new part of my life and see where it goes,” Emerson said.
Emerson has been very lucky to have remained healthy throughout her high school career, but this doesn’t mean she hasn’t had her struggles. As a distance runner, her mentality may even be more important than her physical condition. She’s come to terms with the fact that soreness and pain are a part of the running experience. To overcome this during a meet, Emerson prepares herself for the pain that will be endured and assures herself that she can prevail.
“During a race, you just have to be in the moment and tell yourself that everyone’s in pain and that if you’re not in pain you should probably run faster,” said Emerson.
Emerson has worked on her mindset throughout her running career. A positive mindset has been essential to her success throughout her high school seasons. The cross-country star has learned to push past the pain and allow it to fuel her. She plans to take this mindset with her to college and in her freshman season, the runner’s goal is to have an impact on the team and help them to find success. Emerson believes her ability to push herself mentally has allowed her the chance to compete at the next level.
“Just believing in myself and knowing that I’m capable of accomplishing these things. I think if you go into a race with that mindset you are capable of doing so much more,” Emerson said.
