Contact: Ava Yurchison, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
(written by Emily Zadny, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Nov. 14, 2016- Emily Trent cannot quite put her finger on what sparked her love for running. The earliest memory she has is playing soccer and getting yelled at by her coach for wanting to play all the positions because that meant she could run around.

It wasn't until seventh grade when she found a sport she could invest her boundless energy: cross country.

"I honestly had no idea what cross country was, but I went to the introductory meeting because one of my classmates said that you basically 'just run around in circles' and for some reason I was all about that," said Trent, now a senior on the North Central College women's cross country team. "I went to my first practice and loved it! Finding out that this sport existed was all the motivation I needed and I've been running ever since.  Running has always been fun and freeing for me."

Since that day, Trent has dedicated herself to the sport, although she has faced her fair share of adversity along the way. She has been plagued with injuries during her career, most recently coming off a torn ligament in her ankle that kept her out for part of this season.

But despite the challenges, Trent keeps running and goes into each day and workout with an open mindand readiness to grow.

"What motivates me is that I want to be better than I was yesterday and to see personal growth," she said. "Tough races build character, coming back from injury proves dedication, and a great run provides humility. Although running itself is the same, the takeaway and emotion I get from it is always changing and that is exciting to me."

When it came time to look at colleges, North Central came into the conversation. Her high school coach, Kim Yost, suggested she should look at the school, even though it would be a bit of a drive from her hometown of Mansfield, Ohio. It only took a visit to campus for her to realize North Central was the school for her and a team that she could not wait to be a part of.

"I think one of the most exciting accomplishments thus far [for our team] has been that we have been able to find each other and run together in races or pick one another up when someone is having a rough day," said Trent. "The importance of a team is being able to know that someone will always be there with you to push you and race with you until the end. We have done a great job of communicating and pushing one another during races."

Aside from team successes over the last four years, Trent has had a successful running career of her own. As a freshman, she posted three top-15 finishes and competed at the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Championships, finishing 81st. The following year, she competed at the Division III National Championships, placing 256th.

This past year, despite injury, she competed in five races and posted one top-25 finish. She ran her fastest race at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh AAE Invitation with a time of 24 minutes, 32.83 seconds and recorded her best finish at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship, placing 45th.

"One of my favorite memories would have to be racing in the national meet my sophomore year of cross country," she said. "The atmosphere of that entire weekend was one that I will never forget.

"On a lesser scale, though, running repeats at Lincoln Park has been one of my favorite workouts over the last four years."

Trent has made memories off of the course as well after four years of involvement on campus. She is a student ambassador for the Admissions Department and helps as a recruiting assistant with the cross country and track and field teams.

When she does have free time, which is rare, Trent likes to spend it with friends or outdoors.

"I love to explore," said Trent. "When I'm not running, I love to spend as much time outside as possible. Unless it's the winter, in which case I'd much rather curl up inside with a warm drink and a good book."

Although her senior year of cross country is coming to a close, Trent still has some time left as a Cardinal with the track and field seasons coming up. As she says, only time will tell where life will take her after graduation, but her time at North Central has prepared her for whatever comes next.

"It's been fun," she said with a smile. "Honestly, it's hard to believe that it's been four years—time truly does fly. After I graduate, it will be the first time in years that I am no longer part of a team. The most difficult transition will be not having them constantly by my side in the future, but I know we've created bonds here that will continue long after graduation."

The Cardinals competed at the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Championships this past weekend inWinneconne, Wisconsin, placing ninth as a team to conclude their season.