Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week: Emma Berglund

Senior Emma Berglund is being recognized as Oswego East student athlete of the week for her demonstration of the EAST principles (Excellence, Academics, Spirit, and Tradition). Among the other cross country runners Berglund stood out to her coaches as a great leader and model student athlete.

Emma’s parents Jenniffer and Brian Berglund share how cross country has helped their daughter grow since she started running in sixth grade.

“Cross Country began as a way to be involved in a sport at Bednarcik and to meet others who enjoyed running as well. Little did we know at that time that cross country would become such a big part of who Emma is now,” Jennifer Berglund said. “Running has given Emma the confidence to make goals and to work hard to achieve those goals.”

Coaches Lisa Cook and Steven Ideran also recognize how much Berglund has grown in her four years at East.

“Emma has been one of our top distance runners since her sophomore year, and one of the most improved distance runners in Oswego East history,” Cook and Ideran said.

As a freshman, Emma began her running career with a time of 25:15, but within a year, she improved significantly, cutting nearly four minutes off her time. By her sophomore year, she was a regular in the varsity top seven and contributed to the team's performance at Regionals. In her junior season, she became the team's fourth fastest runner, recording times of 18:34 at Sectionals and 18:52 at the State Meet. This season, she continues to show progress, running 18:42 at Yorkville and 19:00 on challenging courses.

Berglund has grown a lot since the start of her running career but she has especially excelled in highschool and her parents credit this partly to the coaches.

“Coach Cook, Coach Ideran and Coach Yunk have played a pivotal role in helping Emma to become the athlete that she is today. Their guidance and support that they provide to the girls on the team is a testament to the success that Emma has found running,” Jennifer Berglund said.

The coaches understand the hard work and dedication it takes to grow as much as Emma did and they know she is a great example for the younger athletes.

“Her growth and consistent effort throughout the past four years have been inspirational to her teammates, and we are grateful for how Emma has pursued excellence in her running career,” the coaches said.

Another area where Berglund is applauded by her coaches and parents is her great attitude and ability to push her teammates to reach their full potential.

“Running has given Emma the understanding of teamwork and the importance of being there for one another in the ups and downs of a season. She is a very good teammate and supports her peers and those that are coming into the program,” Jennifer and Brian said.

“Emma shows up to practice and competitions with a big smile and a presence that is noticeable by all,” the coaches said. “Her spirit is contagious, and she pushes her teammates to get out of their own comfort zones as she pushes through her own.”

Berglund is a great example for all her teammates and she really enjoys working with her team to motivate and push each other.

“One thing that I like a lot about cross country is that it's a team sport and that we rely on each other and support each other a lot,” Berglund said.

The coaches emphasized how Berglund is one of the girls that will put her team above herself. Coach Cook recalled two instances when Berglund's selflessness has shown through during her time at East

During her sophomore season Berglund competed on the varsity lineup several times. One of her teammates, a returning state qualifier, was recovering from an injury during the season. Emma stepped in at regionals to help the team qualify for Sectionals which then allowed her teammate, Angeles, to compete at Sectionals and State. Angeles was able to work her way back into the season because Emma stepped up and challenged herself at the Regional race and her coaches applaud her for this.

“Emma was incredibly selfless and courageous in stepping up for her teammates,” Cook said.

Berglund’s dedication to cross country expands beyond just competitions but also into her daily life. Berglund allocates lots of her time towards practicing and competing in her sport and it doesn’t go unnoticed by her coaches.

“The other example of Emma's dedication to our program and tradition is the fact that her family changed their summer vacation plans so that Emma could attend our team trip in July,” the coaches said. “Attendance is crucial to be good at any sport, and Emma's attendance record shows that she has understood that from the beginning and made every effort to be at every practice and compete in every race she could.”

Berglund’s leadership skills and selfless qualities will also help her in her future career. While she is still undecided on where she will attend college Berglund plans to go into teaching.

“I wanted to be a teacher because my mom was a teacher and she inspired me to be one,” Berglund said. “I also think I’m really good with kids.”

Berglunds parents have seen how her leadership experiences at East and her experiences within cross country have helped to prepare Emma for her future career.

“She began running just for fun and now we have seen her grow into a competitor, a great teammate and most of all a teacher to those coming up,” Brian Berglund said.

While Berglund’s time as a runner at East is almost up she still has a season to finish and she will leave a lasting impact on the coaches, teachers, and teammates she met at East.
“As her parents we are looking forward to seeing how she completes her final season as an athlete. Whether that is bringing down her times or just finishing off the season we are proud of everything she has done and accomplished here at OE in the sport as well as in her education,” Brian Berglund said.

*This story was written and published by East senior Jordan Fikis.