Emily Schwitzer Books a Trip to Scotland

Duke freshman Emily Schwitzer, a Hopkins High grad, earned an unexpected trip to Scotland for the World Cross Country championships last weekend with a fifth place finish in the USATF junior national XC race.


Here are Schwitzer's thoughts on the race: "Honestly, I went into this race to have fun. I had never even heard about the USATF XC Championships until my coach told me about it earlier this year. We decided to sign up in order to give me some more experience racing in a competitive field. I really haven't competed in too many big meets so this was quite the experience.

"Luckily, the race went very well. I didn't really know where I would stand among the other runners, but because I kept in contact with some of the leaders through the majority of the race I was able to pull through in the end. I am still shocked that I was able to qualify to race in Scotland, and I am beyond excited to participate in such a unique opportunity. It's unbelievable
that I will get to be part of a team that represents our nation. I'm psyched. As of now, I won't be competing in the meet in Florida in a few weeks because I'll continue to race through the remainder of my indoor track season. Outdoor season hasn't really crossed my mind, and I really don't even know what events I will be focusing on. All I can hope for is to keep improving and being able to do what I love."

Photo courtesy of Duke University