Hurdler Emily Asola Named ITG Next 2021-22 Valdosta High School Athlete of the Year
Emily Asola, a hurdler for the Valdosta High School girls track team, has been named the ITG Next 2021-22 Valdosta High School Athlete of the Year, presented by Publix. And while she is a top hurdler for the Wildcast, it wasn’t the first sport that she tried and did well at.
“My first sport was tennis,” Asola said. “My uncle actually began teaching me tennis when I was 5 years old, and then my Dad stepped in and just took over because he plays everything. My Dad is a professor of kinesiology, so me and my brother played a lot against each other growing up.”
Asola began to run cross country in the seventh grade and continued to do it and play tennis up until the 10th grade, which is when she decided to quit tennis and focus strictly on track and cross country. She now focuses on the track events of the 100-meter hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4×100 relay hurdles, and 4×200 relay hurdles, in addition to cross country. Which does she prefer?
“Well, between track and cross country, I prefer track,” she said. “I like going fast. I love speed.”
Asola said that she has tried the 100 dash and the 4×400 relay, but those were not for her. She said that while both are challenging, the endurance and distance running can be tough.
“Cross country is no joke,” she said.
Her performance this season on the track has been no joke either. She qualified for the state meet with her performances in several events at the region meet. She qualified for the girls 100 hurdles and 300 low hurdles, as well as the 4×100 relay. At the GHSA Class 6A meet in Carrollton, Asola placed fifth in the state in the 300 hurdles with a time of 15.12 seconds.
Asola was born in Accra, Ghana, to parents who are both teachers. She said that her father moved to the United States to obtain a master’s degree and ultimately a doctorate in kinesiology.
“My dad earned his degrees and then brought us over to America when I was 3,” Asola said.
Asola and her family first came to Boston upon entering the U.S., and from there they moved wherever her dad’s teaching jobs took them.
“After Boston, we moved to Alabama, then to Wisconsin, then to Atlanta, and ultimately to Valdosta, where her father was hired as a professor at Valdosta State University.
Asola said she is glad to be here.
“I met a lot of great people around the country, but this (Valdosta) is home,” she said.
Well, for now, anyway. Asola plans to pursue a degree in computer pcience while attending Georgia State University. As far as a scholarship to run track with the Georgia State track team, Asola said that hasn’t materialized yet, but she remains hopeful.
Congratulations to Emily Asola, the ITG Next 2021-22 Valdosta High School Athlete of the Year, presented by Publix.
