Bethel Park runner ready for season after committing to OSU
Emily Carter will continue her cross country and track career at Oklahoma State University.
Emily Carter set a medal pace during both the 2019 WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA girls cross country championships.
Bethel Park senior Emily Carter is adopting a tortoise-like approach this cross country season because she discovered last autumn that being a hare doesn’t necessarily produce results when it matters.
After dominating and setting records in early events such as the Marty Uher Invitational; Red, White and Blue Classic; Tri-State Coaches Association Meet and Mingo Classic in 2019, Carter fell short of finishing first in championship races.
She finished in 19:04 to take third place at the WPIAL championships, before crossing the finish line in 18:11 to take second place in the PIAA.
“I pushed too hard last summer and in my early races,” Carter said. “I kept doing more and more. In the end, I couldn’t handle it so I didn’t finish the season the way I wanted.
Carter blames her personality. She admits to being “really stubborn” and always striving to do her best.
“I definitely learned that it is important to reduce mileage and to listen to my coaches,” she said. “They have been doing this longer than I have. Now, I know what I have to do.”
Carter is now focusing on her championship aspirations.
In the PIAA championships, she matched Moon’s Mia Cochran over the first mile as both maintained a 5:46 pace. One second separated the pair after two miles. In the end, however, Cochran won by 18 seconds.
A junior, Cochran won the WPIAL Class AAA race by 45 seconds over North Allegheny’s Hannah Lindgren. Carter followed in third place.
“I’m competitive. I like to win,” Carter said. “Normally, though, I am competing against the clock and trying to push myself to get a better time. While last year was a huge disappointment, especially because I ran so much slower and expected to do better, I can’t complain.
“My goals continue to be to improve my times from last year, don’t push too hard at the beginning of the season and do better at the end,” she added. “If I stay consistent, it will pay off.”
Carter has committed to Oklahoma State University. She is pursuing a degree in psychology and eventually plans to attend medical school.
Carter selected OSU over Penn State and North Carolina.
“I know that you are not going to become best friends with anybody over a 30-minute Zoom call, but OSU seemed a great fit for me,” said the 17-year-old daughter of of Erin and Kent Carter.
Carter said her future teammates and coaches were welcoming and the campus, facilities and the cross country course were among “the best” she’d ever seen.
“The distance isn’t a big deal for me,” she said. “I consider it a great opportunity to live somewhere else and discover a different part of the country.
“The school offered a lot of majors in areas I am interested in and, actually, the course had a lot of rolling hills. More than I expected, but that is my strength.”
Carter isn’t too shabby on the flats. During the spring track season, she dominates the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events.
As a sophomore, she won WPIAL titles at both distances. At the PIAA championships, she set a Class AAA meet record in claiming the 3,200 title and placed third in the 1,600. Her times rank second and 11th fastest in WPIAL history.
This spring, she anticipated lowering her record of 10:16.02 in the 3,200 and going below 4:50 for the 1,600 as she ran a 4:51 for a full mile during the indoor state season. However, the coronavirus pandemic dashed those hopes. Because of COVID-19, all scholastic spring sports were canceled.
“It was definitely disappointing not having a track season because I was in great shape coming off indoor and in good position to beat my records. Whether or not that would have added up to first, I don’t know, but I was hopeful we’ll have one next spring,” Carter said. “It was really unexpected.”
Carter’s path to cross country took an unconventional route. She played volleyball in the fall and basketball in the winter when she attended grade school. She also swam and played soccer. However, she started running competitively in sixth grade when she joined the Pacer Track Club.
“I fell in love with running,” Carter said, thanks to her coach Steve Meddings.
When she decided to attend the Junior Olympics meet in Greensboro, N.C., after her freshman year, her career and confidence took off. Though she did not make it to finals in the 800, and missed the final spot in the 1,500, she came in ranked ninth in the 3,000 meters.
“I thought I had a good shot at being an All-American, but I had one of my worst races of my life,” she said. “After that meet, I decided I could train harder and do the little things that add up.”
Carter started lifting weights. She adhered to all the rules of hydration. She eliminated process sugars from her diet. She also challenged herself varying her workouts between interval training and distance runs through South Park and along the Montour Trail.
“Workouts are hard but they are supposed to be. They are meant to push and challenge you,” she said. “When you do all these things, you can show big improvements.”
Carter said she made a “huge jump” from her freshman to sophomore year. She anticipates Cochran will not be her only competitor this fall because other youthful runners could have made the same progress.
“You have to ready for anyone and anything,” she said. “I am looking forward to competing again, but you have to be prepared for whenever that is and whoever it is against.”
Carter said she hopes to be an NCAA qualifier in track and field as well. She will compete in the 3,000- and 5,000-meters events during the indoor season and the 1,500 meters as well as the 5- and 10-kilometer races.
“Coach said one of the goals is to win a national championship,” she said. “That’s a possibility so I want to be part of that. I’m looking to do my best.”
Age: 17
Birthday: July 16
Parents: Erin and Kent
Siblings: None
Is that a good or bad thing?
“It’s a bit of both. Maybe I missed out on a couple things but then I don’t know any different. I’m not as spoiled as some I know. There’s no one to blame except Casey. That’s our dog.”
High School: Bethel Park
Year: Senior
Sports: Cross country, track
Activities: National Honor Society, Principal’s Advisory Council, Pacers Track Club, Girl Scouts
Achievements: PIAA and WPIAL 3,200-meter champion; PIAA & WPIAL cross country runner-up; PTFCA Indoor Track silver and bronze medalist; record holder at four major cross country meets
College choice: Oklahoma State
Major: Psychology with pre-med
Food: Spaghetti squash. “My favorite way to eat it is with tomato sauce, white beans or chick peas
Go to dessert: 100 percent dark chocolate or fruit, especially pineapple
Color: Grey. “I feel like everything I wear is grey. The car is grey. The cat is grey.”
Pets: Three cats & one dog, a Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix.
Restaurant: First Watch in Bridgeville
Book: The Fault in our Stars. “I did see the movie but I liked the book better.”
Movie: Forrest Gump
Person you would like to have dinner with: Olympian Colleen Quigley.
Dream Destination: The Greek Islands
People might be surprised to know this about you: “I am a Girl Scout and while I sell the cookies, I don’t like any of them. Actually, I’m not a huge cookie or sugar fan.”
Lesson sports has taught you: Work hard and focus on goals. “You may not get results right away but if you stay consistent you will eventually get there.”
In 15 years, I will: “Hopefully have a job, we won’t be in a pandemic and I’ll have a cat.”