* Emily Wisniewski scored a sub-16 minute performance at the Woodbridge XC Classic in September
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit
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Few could have guessed right on Emily Wisniewski's season when it first began in September.
Sure, the Crescent Valley (OR) junior was coming off career seasons over the cross country and outdoor seasons. Most would have predicted that she was bound to improve.
But after Wisniewski opened with an impressive time of 17:53 for 5,000 meters six weeks ago, she has been nothing short of exceptional, slicing and dicing past her season best times and PRs across the month of September and October.
There was the sub-16 at Woodbridge, the 17-flat at Ash Creek and then the 16:33 at the Nike Twilight Invitational.
On Saturday, she cleared six more seconds from that career best performance, clocking a new PR of 16:27.20 at the Rose City Invitational, a course wherein she ran 18:25 the previous year.
In doing so, she netted the nation's No. 2 time for 5K, only behind Rachel Forsyth's 16:18. She lowered the current junior best (Abby Faith Cheeseman's 16:27.60) down four-tenths of a second and also secured the seventh-best junior time in history.
What's more, she also claimed a new Oregon state best, running 13 seconds faster than Kate Peter's former mark of 16:40.90.
That's monumental, especially when you consider that Wisniewski was on a reasonable path toward her third state title this fall and another national qualification.
Her more recent performances proved there might be more in store for her come December.
She's moved up to No. 6 on the MileSplit50 and has entered into the discussion as a possible national-title contender.
Wisniewski ended her sophomore year with a 5K PR of 17:42.80. Right now, she's 75 seconds faster 13 months later.
Related Links:
Emily Wisniewski has been a girl on fire this season
The nation's top 100 girls performances so far this season
