4A girls: Blok is natural on track

Perspective is key for Conifer sprinter

Angie Mudd, Special to the Rocky

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky

Conifer sprinter Emily Blok balances her time on the track by maintaining an interest in other athletic and musical activities.

Most track athletes never aspired to be runners. Even the biggest track stars admit they merely fell into the sport to keep in shape for something else.

But for Conifer junior Emily Blok, who will try to defend her titles in the Class 4A 100 and 200 meters, says she always has known track was going to be her destiny.

Growing up with parents Gary and Sylvia, who were sprinting state champions at their high schools, Blok overcame severe asthma as a child to allow herself to be drawn into running track at a young age. She discovered she was blessed with her parents' talented genes.

"I knew I was fast when I was young, so running track was just always something I did and always something I enjoyed," Blok said. "I get asked a lot of if my parents pushed me into the sport or if they put pressure on me, and the answer is no.

"I found it myself, and my parents have always stayed behind the scenes and supported me in what I wanted to do."

Blok said part of the reason she likes track so much is not only because of her success, but because she doesn't live and breathe on the track. She also plays volleyball, spends a lot of time on the slopes snowboarding in the winter and takes great pride in being an all-state band member (clarinet)and participating in Conifer's jazz band (tenor saxophone).

"I see a lot of kids get burned out, lose speed and lose passion for the sport, and I don't want that to be me," Blok said. "I don't ever want it to be where I don't want to go to a track meet."

Blok will make a handful of her competitors wish they were sitting out when they get matched up against her. Blok had a stellar season last year, topped with a double victory in the 100 and 200 and third-place finish in the 400.

"Who doesn't like to live with a little bit of glory?" Blok said. "I really don't think I could have imagined it going any better than that. I always dreamed of winning the state title, and it was absolutely overwhelming when it happened.

"Conifer has always been known for having good distance runners, so it was so great to go out there and show everyone that Conifer can do sprinting, too."

Blok knows she has a tough spring ahead of her, with athletes gunning for her such as Cheyenne Mountain's Joy O'Hare, who finished second in the 100 and 200.

In addition, Mullen's Laura Palmere, one of Blok's closest friends, placed fourth in the 100, fifth in the 200 and finished second in the 400 ahead of Blok.

Blok says she expects to see another young sprinter hop on the Colorado track scene to surprise some people, like she did last year.

"People have underestimated other people before. I've done it in the past and I'm sure some people underestimated me last year," said Blok, who didn't compete at state her freshman year because she was recovering from shoulder surgery. "I'm sure some people didn't expect me to do as well as I did. So, I just have to be ready for anything."