It’s been a long time since Emma Liberatore was dominating local sports circles at every level for NDCL Lions teams.
It’s been a long time since Emma Liberatore was dominating local sports circles at every level for NDCL Lions teams.
She succeeded in everything she tried, despite not being a giant in stature. Her efforts scoring and rebounding for the Lions made her the focus of every basketball opponent she faced, but it was her track and field endeavors that got her the deepest in state competitions.
They also got her into college at Ashland University. After dealing with injuries since her college career got going, especially shin splints, she now is feeling a lot better, and it’s paying off handsomely for the Eagle track program — a program that claims multiple national championships in the NCAA’s Division II.
On Jan. 20, Liberatore took part in just one event as her shin splint rehabilitation continues.
“I’ve had the shin splints on and off since my freshman year,” she said as she cheered on other teammates, who put on quite a show at the WATT Center of Youngstown State University for the 2023 YSU Collegiate Invitational, attended by athletes from more than 35 colleges and universities. “The biggest thing I had to change here is to push myself harder than I did before. Everything here is just tougher and faster, so working harder in practice has really pushed me.
“Everybody here has been so great getting to know, though, and the support from everybody is just so great, from teammates to alumni to coaches. Everything here at Ashland has really been important for me to adjust to at this level.”
Despite being a multi-event athlete at every level at NDCL, Liberatore has changed her focus for the Eagles. Now, it is getting back to being a pentathlon athlete at the college level.
The pentathlon involves five events at the indoor level, and Liberatore’s versatility should make it a reality as she works to return to competitive condition.
“I didn’t have any hurdles to experience in high school, so that has been one of the toughest adjustments I’ve had to deal with here,” she said.
The hardest? “I really am not a fan of running the 800 meter run,” she said with a smile. “Distances weren’t something I did much before, but when I got here, several people I came in contact with suggested I might like to try doing multiple events like the pentathlon, so I’ve tried it and done well.”
Her favorite event? “I’ve really gotten to like running the hurdles. It’s fast, doesn’t take a lot of time to do, either. It’s a lot of fun, too.”
As she gets back into shape for her high-level efforts, representing for a nationally known program that sports several recent national titles, she is making her name known. In this indoor meet at YSU, she won the seeded high jump event with a leap of 165 centimeters. That translates into a 5-foot-5-inch jump, which she won on fewer misses against a field of taller athletes who simply couldn’t match her positive energy.
“The key for everything for me, both at NDCL and here at Ashland, has been that everybody I’ve had around me has been so much fun and happy to work with at every level,” she said. “I’ve had a load of great fun getting to know people, and dealing with the injuries lately has also helped me to appreciate how blessed I really am in having great teammates and support from everybody.”
Fellow junior hurdler/sprinter T.J. Skinner, a 2019 state Division II runner-up in the 110 meter hurdles outdoors, began his college career at Mr. Vernon Nazarene University but transferred to Ashland this year to take advantage of deeper coaching in his events. He, too, has dealt with injuries at times, as he qualified for national collegiate meets, which is also Liberatore’s main goal.
Skinner was part of a large grouping of Eagle athletes to shine at this YSU event, taking second place with a PR in the 60 meter hurdles in 8.16 seconds. He also PR’ed in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.51 seconds, which placed him 16th at the meet but also in a position to qualify for nationals in that event. His effort in the 60 put him in good shape there as well.
Both Liberatore and Skinner were powerhouses in high school, with Liberatore at NDCL and Skinner in Jefferson. Their paths did not cross then, but now that they are part of a superb program for the Ashland Eagles, having some familiarity of home times gives them a nice edge in supporting each other for future levels of competition.
Now, to avoid those injuries.
