With four personal bests in as many races, sophomore Emma Coon has set the tone for Marquette cross country by leading the team across the finish line.
Coon, who has been the first Golden Eagle to complete each race in the team’s first four competitions, said she attributes her continued success to raising the bar, through in-season improvement.
“Not just seeing our improvements in our times at races, but also seeing them in our ability to balance; we’re getting stronger, we’re increasing the weight,” Coon said. “Those are little reminders of how we’re getting better, which makes it more motivating for everyone, because you can see it on a weekly basis, compared to just when we have races.”
Associate head coach Jack Hackett has noticed that Coon has also gotten stronger from the team’s first hill workout leading into the middle of October, stating that is a key ingredient of her being able to have sustained success.
“She’s starting to pop off the ground, she’s starting to handle a lot more faster running, and it’s looking easier and easier for her, so I think that getting stronger is the best thing she’s done so far,” Hackett said.
Being in the same major and activities has given sophomore teammate Ava Thomas a unique opportunity to bond with Coon, with both athletes majoring in exercise science and participating in the DPT program. Thomas also highlights Coon’s ability to provide a listening ear; that can assist in her stepping into a team leadership role.
“Any time you get to talk to Emma, it’s always a nice debrief, about whatever; it doesn’t even have to be school or running related; she’s so easy to talk to,” Thomas said.
The team has adopted a new tradition with runners writing their goals on tiles, and after achieving the specified mark, the tile will be smashed at the next practice.
Thomas stated that she views Coon’s success as a launching pad for the team as a whole to soar to new heights from.
“She does the same exact workouts as everyone else, so if Emma can do it, so can we,” Thomas said. “Emma’s a base point for us to look off of, she’s going out there and running those times, we can also do that; she’s our number one girl, but we can all follow in her lead.”
Coon navigates the balance of working hard and working smart through time management with having to stay up later as a resident assistant on certain nights, classes, and the pressures that come with being a student athlete.
“I believe that how you do one thing is how you do everything, and everything I’ve seen Emma do, she does diligently and well,” Hackett said.
With the four regular season meets complete, along with the Big East Championships and NCAA regional competition approaching in November, Coon placed emphasis on bringing the best out of her teammates when it matters most.
“It would be nice to run a little closer together, I think it’s always more motivating during a race when you’re with a teammate, because it’s someone you know, you can try to push each other,” Coon said.
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.
