photo by: Submitted photo

Two years ago, it seemed like Free State alumna Emily Venters’ college running career was on its last lap.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, she suffered a vicious cycle of one injury after another, and as her bone density declined, it seemed like her prospects in college track and cross country were bleak.

But she decided to give it another shot at Utah — and her perseverance paid off this year when she finished her career as a five-time All-American, placing second (32:47:70) in the women’s 10,000-meter run and third (15:42:40) in the 5,000-meter at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.

“It’s going to take a little bit for it to all sink in,” Venters said. “Just a lot of different emotions. I’m really grateful that I could end my college career in this way. I really didn’t think that I was ever going to get back to this place.”

At the Pac-12 Championships last month, Venters and teammate Simone Plourde became just the second pair of Utah runners to earn multiple All-America honors at the same championship after Carla Pittelkow and Jill Molen in 1982. But a milestone performance on a national stage seemed like a distant dream when Venters arrived in Utah in 2021.

In 2019, Venters transferred from Boise State to the University of Colorado Boulder and then endured a “hell of two years.” The injuries and her dwindling bone density kept her from seeing action with the track and cross country teams, and she said “it kind of combined for the perfect storm.”

“I had a lot of support” during the ordeal in Colorado, Venters said. “I had really good friends there in Colorado and I leaned on them a lot, even my friends from Boise State and then my parents. But, ultimately, I think it was me that just kind of believed the whole time.”

photo by: Submitted photo

Venters (left) smiles with teammate Simone Plourde after a successful trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, on June 9, 2023.

Venters chose to transfer away from Boulder after making enough progress to market herself in the transfer portal, and Utah cross country coach Kyle Kepler was quick to pick up the phone. The transparent conversations Venters had with him convinced her that if she didn’t give running another go, she’d regret it.

“It was obviously questionable,” Venters said. “I didn’t know what will happen. It’s a gamble. Like, we’re going to give it one more chance. To walk away with everything that I’ve had here is just exceeding my expectations.”

And there’s plenty of green ahead.

Venters, who earned her bachelor’s degree in integrative physiology as an undergrad at Colorado, plans to complete her master’s in public health in the future, but for now she’s stepping away from school to focus on her professional running career.

Next up, Venters is slated to compete in the U.S. National Trials, July 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon. If she finishes in the top three at nationals, that means a ticket to the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

“It’s been an interesting journey,” Venters said. “But I’m happy where it is.”