Senior Emily Fuhr, who won two individual State titles in the shot put and discus last year,  will go on to compete at Kansas State University for track and field where she plans to study Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology. 

Fuhr has participated in track and field ever since middle school and cannot wait to compete at the collegiate level.

“I currently do shot put and discus on the De Soto High School track team,” Fuhr said. “I think that track has become part of me and who I am so I think it will be really fun to see what I can do at that level with advanced coaching and more support.”

For Fuhr, track is a team sport that develop athletes in an individual aspect and allows people  to learn characteristics that cannot be learned anywhere else.

“Track is not only an individual sport, but also a team sport so you have to focus on the mental part and making yourself better but also encouraging others and coaching them up to make them the best they can be,” Fuhr said.

Senior Chase Culver has been one of Emily’s biggest supporters on the track team and is drawn to her strong leadership qualities as her teammate.

“The qualities that Emily brings to the track team is a consistent spirit. She is always there and she always works hard, but she is also super light-hearted,” Culver said. “She has also broken the barrier between different event groups and is friends with people who are distance runners and sprinters; not just throwers. It is super cool to see her interact with everyone.”

The impact she has made on her team contributes motivation to the environment through her modest attitude concerning her accomplishments.

“She makes our team feel motivated by simply winning and by being humble. It is super cool to see her win meets and then be humble about it when she goes back to the tent,” Culver said. “She gets to practice early and leaves practice late which shows other teammates how putting time in leads to success, and in turn that makes people want to be more passionate about this sport.” 

Fuhr knew she would attend K-State because she felt welcomed.

“I went on a visit to another school and loved it, but when I visited Kansas State it just felt right,” Fuhr said. “I really bonded with the [track and field] team, and the coach was super nice. The campus overall just felt like home.”

DHS head track coach Jack Sachse, graduated undergrad from K-State in 2010 and was a long-distance runner for their track and field team.

“It is pretty cool that Emily is going to college for track where I went. It is very special to see,” Sachse said. “I wanted to coach track but never in a million years did I think I would be the head coach at DHS and that in 2019 one of my athletes would be at K-State for something on my radar in terms of things that she could go to commit for.”

Sachse is immensely proud of Fuhr’s accomplishments, and as her coach he has confidence in the talents she will be bringing to K-State.

“She has accomplished a ton. I think she will do really well competing at the collegiate level. K-State has a good throwing program, and also has a good throwing coach,” Sachse said. “I think Emily will transition very well and that she will have an immediate impact on K-State’s program.”

After the track season passes, Fuhr is ready to see what her future holds for her at K-State.

“I am excited to meet new people and to experience how diverse a college campus can be,” Fuhr said. “I am also excited to see where I can go with track and field, and I am excited to see how the college environment will help me improve.”