photo by: Hannah Roberts/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Emily Venters (802) runs the 1600 meter run at the Track and Field State Championship meet on Saturday afternoon, May 28, 2017, in Cessna Stadium. Venters won the Class 6A 1600 meter run with a time of 4:59.

Former Free State standout Emily Venters placed second in the women’s 5,000-meter run at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships this past weekend in Bloomington, Ind.

Venters, who will be a sophomore at Boise State this next season, will now represent the United States at the 2018 IAAF World Championships (July 19-24) in Tampere, Finland. Earlier this year, Venters made her first career appearance for Team USA with the Junior Women’s team for the Great Edinburgh XCountry International Challenge.

At the Junior Outdoor Championships, Venters took second with a time of 16:19.22. Venters beat Amanda Vestir of Iowa State by less than a full second. It marked the highest finish by a Bronco at the event, edging Leif Everson’s third-place finish in the men’s 5,000-meter run on Friday.

During her freshman season, Venters scored in every race for Boise State except one. She also placed 53rd at the NCAA Cross Country Championship. In her high school career, Venters won five state titles with the Firebirds. She capped her preps career by placing first in both the 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run at the state track meet in 2017.