After nine years on the track, Emmanuel’s hard work has paid off. On January 9th, he set the Wilde Lake record for the 300m run, recording a time of 35.59 at the Liberty Premier Invitational.
Emmanuel started running at his sister Kendall’s lacrosse practices. His mom, Wilde Lake school psychologist Dr. Chandra McKnight Dean, says his passion for track became clear at these practices.
From there, Emmanuel started running club track in sixth grade.
After running club track in middle school, Emmanuel continued his career during high school. Emmanuel ran his freshman and sophomore years at Atholton High School. However, since starting at Wilde Lake in his junior year, Emmanuel has dominated the track.
Following his record at invitationals, Emmanuel ran a 36.08 in the 300m run during the MPSSAA 2A West Region Championships, coming in second place.
Emmanuel is also top six in the county for the 500m run, recording a 1.95 during MPSSAA 2A Indoor State Championships.
While setting his record on the 300m run, Emmanuel says he abandoned strategy and just started running.
“I really abandoned my race strategy and was only focused on getting my feet down and in front of me,” said Emmanuel. “Then I looked up at the clock and saw 35.5.”
Part of the reason Emmanuel was successful in his 300m run was because of his coaches and their training plans. Coach Fadan Carter is both Emmanuel’s club and Wilde Lake coach. This consistent coaching has contributed to Emmanuel’s success, he says.
On his own, Emmanuel strength trains and does daily stretches to prepare himself for the school track season. As a team captain, Emmanuel has incorporated his training habits into the team’s training plan.
Junior captain Caleb McKenna says Emmanual is a strong leader, leading the team in
warm-ups each day. Chris Hagan, a junior, says Emmanuel leads the team by pushing them through their practices.
“Emmanuel has always been a leader for the track team,” said Chris. “He gives us confidence throughout our workouts and encourages everyone during practice.”
Caleb describes Emmanuel as a positive role model for the team. “He’s very positive, he pushes us to work hard, and he’s inspiring,” said Caleb.
According to junior Terry Larose, Emmanuel’s impact on the team is apparent, even though he has only been a part of Wilde Lake track for two years.
“Ever since he joined, he stepped up and has been a real contributor,” he said. “He always comes to practice motivated, and he motivates others.”
The team would not be complete without Emmanuel, according to Terry, as he says he was essential to the team’s success at regionals. “If we didn’t have Emmanuel [and teammates], we would not have won the regional championship,” said Terry.
Emmanuel’s final season running high school track will be in the spring of 2024. He says he hopes to have a consistent amount of personal records in the season to come.
“This spring season, I hope to use everything I have learned across my high school athletic journey to be an accurate product of all of my combined experience,” said Emmanuel. “I need to be competitive, knowledgeable, and patient.”
