Lee Emanuel captured what most college athletes only see in dreams: a national championship.
The senior from Hastings, England, ran the mile in 4:00.65 to seal gold at the Indoor National Championships in College Station, Texas, on March 14, becoming the first Lobo runner in 32 years to win a national title.
"It feels great. My whole season was geared toward running at nationals," Emanuel said. "It's kind of like a dream come true."
Since the win, Emanuel has gotten lots of recognition in track-and-field circles.
"It's not like winning the basketball championship and having everyone know who I am," he said. "But, obviously, now in track and field, I am a much bigger name, and New Mexico is a much bigger school."
Emanuel's life is dedicated to running. He runs cross country in the fall, indoor in the winter and outdoor in the spring. He said he never questioned whether his nonstop schedule was too grueling.
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"I have an NCAA title sitting on my desk right now, and it's all worth it," he said. "I have a great opportunity. I could be at home working and earning enough money to get by, but I'm fortunate enough to live in a great city with the sun out and enjoy my training. My life right now is fantastic. I love it."
The 24-year-old said he hasn't reached the peak of his career and that he is only looking to go up.
"Winning a title has massive benefits in terms of the future and making money in the sport," Emanuel said. "I will definitely be running next season, wherever it is, whether it be here, or somewhere else in America or England."
Whatever Emanuel decides, his list of accomplishments will be beneficial in getting him where he wants to go. The title was only the cherry on a sundae of a season. In late January, Emanuel set a school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:50.30. Two weeks later, he became the first UNM runner to break the four-minute-mile barrier (3:57.91).
Head coach Joe Franklin said it is hard to believe that less than two years ago, Emanuel was virtually unknown.
"When Lee came over - it is kind of comical now - he was very, very unfit," Franklin said. "You were looking at that raw diamond and hoping that you could chisel it. His marks weren't outstanding when he came over by any stretch."
But Franklin said Emanuel shimmered of greatness.
"At times he would show shades of being exceptional," he said. "You could see that if he just did the work, ate and slept right, the sky was
the limit."
His first glimpse came almost a year before he posted his record-breaking sub-four-minute mile. In February 2008, Emanuel posted a 4:02.47 mile, breaking a 24-year-old school record.
The second hint came during the '08 outdoor season, when he posted a 3:42.42 time in the 1,500-meter run.
The only thing Emanuel lacked was the consistency to do it week after week, Franklin said.
"He was fast, but he didn't have the fitness level to sustain it throughout the year," Franklin said. "He petered out at the end."
That problem was fixed this season through demanding workouts. Emanuel said it was necessary, even though he didn't enjoy it all.
"A lot of the training I hate," he said. "I hate going on hour-long runs. It is so boring to me. But I love competing, and I love being at the top level of the sport."
UTEP Springtime Invitational
El Paso, Texas
Saturday
TBA
