Thurston showed her speed at an early age

EMILIA THURSTON BENTONVILLE

The parents and grandparents of Emilia Thurston experienced long ago the frustration of trying to keep up with Emilia, one of the top track and field athletes in Northwest Arkansas. “As a child, I would chase seagulls on the beach in Florida and my grandparents or parents wouldn’t be able to catch me,” Thursday said. “I was probably around two or three at the time.”

Family members eventually caught up to Emilia Thurston but most of her competitors are still struggling to keep up.

Thurston helped pile up points at the Class 6A state outdoor track and field events last spring in Little Rock, where the Lady Tigers finished second in the team standings to Fayetteville. She finished first in the long jump (18-8.75), fifth in the triple jump (368.50) and fifth in the 100 meter dash (13.13). She’s a driven athlete who hopes to lead Bentonville to a state championship this spring and pad her own resume before heading off to college in the fall. “Emi leads by example and puts 100 percent effort into every event,” Bentonville coach Randy Ramaker said. “Athletes look up to her and admire her because of it. She is a tremendous horizontal jumper and leads our team in both events. She’s also a very good sprinter who has anchored our sprint relays to success.”

Thurston’s father was in the military and the family moved often. From Florida, Thurston lived in New Mexico and in England overseas before settling in Northwest Arkansas, where she has extended family.

The ability to adapt to different environments has factored in Thurston’s likely decision to continue her track and field career at Southern Utah University, a Division I school located 1,300 miles from Bentonville High School.

“I’m pretty independent, so being a long way from home isn’t a big deal,” said Thurston, who is leaning toward but has yet to sign with Southern Utah. “On my visit, we went through mountains and mountains on a shuttle and I was like ‘where are we going?’ But when we got to the city it was beautiful and, when you’re on the track, the mountains are all you see. I really enjoyed it.”

For now, Thurston is focused on finishing strong for Bentonville, a traditional power that was upstaged last spring by Fayetteville, which swept the girls and boys Class 6A state champions in Little Rock. To do that, Thurston has accepted a leadership role in encouraging and pushing her younger teammates.

“I’m always trying to be the first one on the track and, when we’re on break, to make sure we’re not going over that break period,” Thurston said. “I need to be out front there saying ‘let’s go, let’s go’ and doing the things I’m encouraging them about to show I’m not a hypocrite.”

That work ethic from one of the top track athletes in the state resonates with the younger members of the Bentonville team.

“Emilia is definitely a team leader,” said Paisley High, a junior who competes in a handful of events for the Lady Tigers. “She pushes us to be better because she pushes herself to be better. It’s motivational to be around her.”