"It takes a different type of person to get up every morning at 5:30am and brave the elements just to run. But Emilee Schneider isn’t any ordinary person. The Van Vleck cross country runner has the discipline, determination and talent to do extraordinary things. And this past fall….she did just that. Schneider became the first ever Leopard runner to qualify for state in cross country.
If you couldn’t tell by her size, Emilee is just a freshman and she’s already shown her Coach Rebecca Hanson more dedication to the sport than anyone who has come through Van Vleck. As a matter of fact, the only thing that has kept Schneider off the track is a foot injury last spring. She was diagnosed with Sever’s and had to wear a boot during the summer. Schneider’s running times suffered at first, but she stuck to it and gradually got better.
Like most athletes in small schools, Emilee participates in other sports as well. She is on the volleyball team and does cheerleading. Those two sports along with cross country all take place during the same season, so you can imagine the discipline it takes to juggle 3 sports and a demanding school schedule.
Making it to state and posting a respectable 63rd place finish wasn’t the only exciting thing to happen that weekend. Emilee was also approached by a few small colleges that talked to her about running cross country at the next level. Even as a freshman, Emilee has been someone the Van Vleck community has really looked up to."