Emma Atkinson

Photo by: Bjorn Franke

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
Distance
High School:
Wayzata HS
Hometown:
Plymouth, Minn.

Emma Atkinson's TFRRS Bio
Emma Atkinson's IAAF Bio

2025 Outdoor Track & Field • Graduate Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Ran in three meets during the outdoor campaign... Opened the outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays with the tenth-fastest 5000m time in school history (16:25.45)... Ran to a 12th-place finish at the Bryan Clay Invitational (16:31.23) and a 22nd-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (16:34.95) in the 5000m.

2025 Indoor Track & Field • Graduate Season: Competed in four indoor meets, all away from the Twin Cities... Opened the indoor season at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invite in the 3000m with a fourth-place finish in a time of 9:34.97... Put forth the ninth-fastest 5000m time in school history (16:25.05) at the Meyo Invitational to finish third overall at the meet... Clocked a 16:36.88 at the 2025 Big Ten Indoor Championships to finish 17th overall... Clocked a lifetime best mile time of 4:45.85 at the 2025 Graduate Classic in Lincoln, Neb.

2024 Cross Country • Graduate Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... USTFCCCA All-Academic... Finished second among the Gophers in all seven of the meets during the 2024 season... Helped Minnesota win the 2024 Roy Griak Invitational team title for the seventh time in history with a 6K time of 21:13.7 to finish second overall... Along with Ali Weimer, helped Minnesota finish first and second overall at the Roy Griak Invitational for the first time since 2018 (Bethany and Megan Hasz)... Clocked a lifetime best 6K time of 19:55.5 at the Big Ten Championships, which ended the 2024 season as the eighth-fastest in program history and the second-fastest at the Big Ten Championships for Minnesota... Clocked the third-fastest time in NCAA Regional Championships history with a 20:13.86 to finish 11th overall... Finished 93rd overall at the NCAA Championships in a time of 20:30.0 to help the team finish 18th, the third time since 2020 that Minnesota finished inside the top 18 at the national meet... Was 15th overall at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite in a 6K time of 20:07.4... Ran to a 5K finish of 18:34.1 at the Oz Memorial to start the season... Was 76th at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet in a 6K time of 20:28.2.

2024 Outdoor Track & Field • Senior Season: Posted three different lifetime bests during the outdoor season, running in five meets total... Ended the season with a 15th place finish in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships 10000m in a time of 35:13.15... Ran to a 5000m lifetime best time of 16:31.31 at the Bryan Clay Invitational to finish seventh overall... Was seventh at the Hurricane Invitational in the 800m, clocking a 2:14.25... Also ran Minnesota's 4x1600m relay at the 114th Drake Relays, helping the squad finish fourth in a time of 19:51.54... Was named Academic All-Big Ten.

2024 Indoor Track & Field • Senior Season: Competed in five different indoor meets for the Gophers, including the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio... Ran to a 21st overall finish at the Big Ten Championships in the 5000m in a time of 17:11.45... Ran to a 3000m lifetime best time of 9:31.77 at the Badger's Windy City Invite... Also ran the mile at the Simmons-Harvey, finishing 15th in a time of 4:57.32.

2023 Cross Country • Senior Season: Finished seven meets for the Maroon and Gold during her latest cross country season... Opened the season up with her first college victory at the Oz Memorial, finishing the 5K in a time of 18:10.0... Ran to a 5K lifetime best at the Joe Piane Invitational, clocking a time of 17:22.6 to finish 36th overall... Was 39th at the Griak Invitational, the third overall finish for the Gopher women at the event... In the postseason was 39th at the Big Ten Championships and 36th at the NCAA Midwest Regional, which was third on the team at both events... Was named Academic All-Big Ten.

2023 Outdoor Track & Field • Junior Season: Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as well as the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar distinction... Only was able to compete in two meets during the outdoor campaign that was limited due to injury... Ran at the Drake Relays in the 5000m, finishing 19th in a time of 17:37.86... Competed at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the 10000m.

2023 Indoor Track & Field • Junior Season: Was limited during the indoor season, competing in just two meets... Ran on a 4x400m relay team at the Cyclone Open that finished fourth... Ran the 3000m at the Windy City Invite in Chicago where she finished 15th.

2022 Cross Country • Junior Season: Made big strides for the Gophers during her junior season of cross country, racing seven times for the Maroon and Maroon and dropping her 6K personal best by over a minute from her sophomore season • Had her best performance in her final race of the season, the NCAA Regionals in Columbia, Mo., where she finished 21st overall, second on the team, and was named to the All-Region team for her finish, clocked at 20:41.90 in the 6K race • Finished in the top 2 of the Gophers lineup four times • Finished 36th at the 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Championships in a time of 21:08.40 • Made her big splash early in the season at the Big Ten Preview meet at Ann Arbor, Mich., finishing 13th, and second on the Gophers lineup, in a time of 21:36.10.

2022 Indoor Track & Field • Sophomore Season: Raced five times for the Gophers during the indoor season • Opened her season up at the Midwest Invite in the mile • Posted her best mile time at the Big Ten Championships, finishing 18th in a time of 4:51.94 • Raced in the 3K once during the indoor season, finishing 6th at the Cyclone Open in a PR of 9:46.82.

2022 Outdoor Track & Field • Sophomore Season: Made her outdoor collegiate debut at the Raleigh Relays in the 1500m, finishing the mile in a time of 4:43.25 • Posted her personal best of 4:30.85 in the mile at the Tommie Twilight, finishing third • Won the Tom Cat Invite in the 5000m, finishing in a time of 17:12.99 • Ended her season at the Big Ten outdoor Championships at home in 35th in a time of 4:40.19.

2021 Cross Country • Sophomore Season: Named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree • opened the season with a personal best 6k performance at the Spiked Shoe Invitational, crossing the line 31st overall and seventh for the Maroon and Gold in 22:04.1 • placed 66th in the women’s gold 6k race at the Roy Griak Invitational in a time of 22:39.0 • posted a personal best 5k time in the women’s blue race at the Joe Piane Invite, finishing 153rd in 17:55.1 • finished sixth for Minnesota and 200th overall at the Nuttycombe Invite (22:04.7) • at the Big Ten Championships, finished 67th overall in a time of 22:07.5.

2020 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Made Big Ten Championships debut in first collegiate race, clocking a career-best 6K time of 22:08.7 to place eighth on the team and 62nd overall.

2021 Indoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Competed at two meets • ran a career-best 4:52.63 to place fourth in the mile at the Husker Triangular • finished as mile runner-up and finished fourth in the 4x400m relay at the Hawkeye Border Battle.

2021 Outdoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Did not compete.

High School: A 2020 graduate of Wayzata High School where she competed for coaches Addy Hallen and Dave Emmans • two-sport letterwinner who earned five letters in cross country and three in track & field • two-time all-state, all-section, and all-conference honoree in cross country • earned two top-four individual finishes at the Minnesota Class AA State Cross Country Championships, placing third as a sophomore to lead the Trojans to the team title and finishing fourth as a junior on the way to a runner-up team showing • part of back-to-back Lake Conference championship teams as a sophomore and junior • finished 66th overall to lead Wayzata to a third-place team finish at 2018 Nike Cross Nationals • on the track, earned four all-state honors in the 800m (2019 and 2018), 1600m (2019), and 4x800m relay (2018), three all-section honors in the 800m (2019 and 2018) and 1600m (2019), and one all-conference honor in the 400m (2018) • earned five top-five individual finishes at the Minnesota Class AA State Track & Field Championships • placed third at the state meet in the 4x800m as a freshman • placed second at the state meet in the 4x800m and fourth in the 800m as a sophomore • placed second at the state meet in the 1600m and fifth in the 800m as a junior • team finished as True Team state champions as a sophomore and state runners-up as a junior • owns high school personal bests of 2:11 for 800m, 4:56 for 1600m, 11:02 for 3200m, and 17:15 for cross country 5K • played attacking center midfielder in club soccer for FUSION Soccer Club.

Personal: Daughter of Jean Atkinson and Gavin Atkinson • has two siblings, Lauren and Bailey • high school teammates with Gopher teammate Jaycie Thomsen • enjoys cooking • graduated from high school with a 3.8 grade point average.