A local high school track star will be taking her place at her top pick university in the fall.
Emily Stevenson, a soon-to-be King’s Christian School graduate, received a running scholarship to Trinity Western University, her number one school choice.
Stevenson has run with the private Kamloops Track and Field club since the ninth grade and represented King’s Christian in the spring when it is outdoor track season since her eight grade year.
Over the last few years, Stevenson has had many chances to meet and impress coaches from many different regions.
Stevenson’s coach from the Kamloops club was friends with Trinity’s head track and field coach and would invite him to meets, said Stevenson. Her coach had always been very encouraging and supportive, she said, and after learning of her university dream made sure that connection was formed.
Coaches watch runners’ statistics and make recruitment decisions based on Athletics Canada rankings, and Stevenson has been on the board, recording fast run times and improving since the 10th grade.
Stevenson was offered the scholarship in early December and had already been to campus to train with the university’s athletes in November. Stevenson had gone to tour the school and was invited to join a practice.
“It was really good to meet more of the athletes there on their school grounds,” said Stevenson. “They also came up to Kamloops for a training camp in December so I got to go to that too.”
Stevenson said she is excited to attend Trinity Western and study human kinetics in her first year, possibly moving into kinesiology as she progresses.
“Trinity is a great school and I’m really looking forward to it, and it’s great to run track in school as I thought I would have to quit track going into university,” said Stevenson. “It’s great to continue on, to keep going with track after university is the ultimate goal.”
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