By Rich Winter

605 Sports

A policy change at Chester Area allowed Emery Larson to compete in two fall sports and ultimately capture a state championship. 

During the summer of 2022, Larson began dabbling in distance running without any past experience. Prior to this season, Chester Area wouldn’t allow athletes to compete in multiple sports during the fall. 

A standout on the volleyball and track teams, Larson had never run anything competitively longer than 800 meters. After telling her mother Misty Larson, Chester Area’s track coach, her desire to run further, the pair hit the high school track.

“I told my mom how much I was liking the longer distances and asked her if she would go to the track with me to see if I could be more competitive,” said Emery Larson, who is a freshman. “We went to the track a few times and did some time trials.” 

The results were positive and Larson decided she would give cross-country a shot. It didn’t take long for this multi-sport athlete to show promise. 

“At the first meet of the season I ran an 18:58 in Beresford,” she said. 

Running in her first state cross-country meet Saturday in Huron, Larson looked anything but a novice. She blistered the first mile, winning the race in 18:15 over a minute in front of defending champion Ella Boekelheide of Northwestern.

“I got out very fast and ran the first mile in around 5:25,” she said. “That strategy has worked for me all year and I didn’t want to worry about getting boxed in.” 

Monday following the state cross-country meet was the first time Larson didn’t wake up for cross country practice at 6:00 a.m. Instead she will turn her full attention to her libero duties as a full-time starter on the Class B No. 2 Chester Area volleyball team. 

Larson has been a fixture on Jean O'Hara’s squad since her seventh-grade season and rarely leaves the court except when one of the middle hitters are serving. 

“I think part of being a good libero is being quick and communicating with your hitters and making sure you get in the gaps,” she said. 

Chester Area closes out its regular season Tuesday at Arlington before turning its attention to post-season play. 

A typical fall day for this teenager usually started at 6:00 a.m. 

“I usually ran every morning with (Chester Area boys runner) Daniel Swenson,” Larson said. “Our coach wanted us to be running partners and he’s a good friend and was always at my morning practices.”

Larson said it is impossible for her to pick a favorite sport saying she loves them both in different ways.