Harrison's Emma Beimfohr two miles from end goal

WEST LAFAYETTE — Emma Beimfohr isn't ready for high school to be over just yet.

For the Harrison senior, that depends on her performance at Tuesday's Lafayette Jeff Regional.

The Raiders celebrated a banner cross country season last fall with a roster loaded with track stars.

Of that group. Beimfohr is the distance runner come track season and she's currently two miles from her end goal.

"She puts in a lot of work," Harrison coach Chris Crum said. "I understand in cross country, they have scenery and they're seasoned differently. In track, they are running around a track eight times. It is a very different atmosphere."

MORE: IHSAA track: 10 individual performers who stood out at the Harrison Sectional

MORE: IHSAA track: 10 individual performers who stood out at the West Lafayette Sectional

Puts in a lot of work is an understatement and it isn't strictly just in reference to her running.

Beimfohr has maintained a 3.5 grade-point average while participating in three sports along with marching band and holding down a job at Culver's.

Last fall, Beimfohr was Harrison's top runner for a state-qualifying cross country team that won its first sectional and regional titles in 12 years.

Individually, Beimfohr won both races and placed 11th at the challenging New Prairie Semistate.

Last week, she qualified for the regional in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, finishing second and first respectively in the Harrison Sectional.

Beimfohr scratched out of the 1,600 at the regional, seeing the 3,200 as her best shot at qualifying for the state meet.

"Most people can’t go out there and do as many events long distance wise as she does," said Harrison senior sprinter Jaylie Lohmeyer, a cross country teammate of Beimfohr's. "I know she struggled in (the 1,600 at sectional), but she pushed it and got a PR. For the two-mile she pushed it and did an outstanding job."

Lohmeyer should be a state qualifier and wouldn't be surprised if Beimfohr takes the trip to Bloomington next week with her.

"I wouldn’t doubt anything," Lohmeyer said. "I bet she pushes through."

To do that, Beimfohr will need to finish in the top three in the 3,200 at Tuesday's regional or finish better than the state standard time of 10:53.59. Beimfohr's sectional time of 11:36.31 is the ninth fastest among participants in the Lafayette Jeff Regional.

In addition to her cross country and track accolades, she competed in distance races for the Raiders' swimming team in the winter and amassed 12 varsity letters in her high school athletic career.

During swim season, running is on the backburner.

But once swim season ends ...

"I am not going to lie, by the end of swim season, I am ready to run," Beimfohr said. "It is kind of a hard transition going from the pool to the track. I am usually pretty excited to get back into running."

Swimming builds stamina in Beimfohr's upper body.

It typically takes an indoor track season before she gets her legs back in time for outdoor track.

That won't be an issue at Marian University, where she will continue her running career.

But, before that, she'd like one more week to call herself a high school athlete.

"Regional is going to be a lot tougher," Beimfohr said. "We have a lot of very hard schools coming into regional. Everyone’s mindset is going to be a little bit more focused. Winning sectional is a boost of confidence going into regional."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking. 

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison's Emma Beimfohr two miles from end goal