Senior Emily Dawidowich is the unquestioned leader of this season’s Manitowoc Lincoln High School Girls Track & Field team. But, the 18-year-old Ships senior is the most unassuming & humble athletic star you’ll ever meet. By the numbers, the 5’ 1” speedster has broken 7 school records this spring. During an interview last Friday at Ron Rubick Municipal Field, Emily told us she almost didn’t go out for the sport her freshman year. She said she “never felt like she would love the sport because I hated running.” She ended up joining because her gym teacher pushed her to give it a try.
Her coach at Lincoln, Ryan Schroeder, said Dawidowich is pretty special. He said she is “probably one of the best athletes I’ve coached, and I was a college coach for 5 years, so that’s saying a lot.” Coach Schroeder calls his quiet team leader the “silent killer” on the track. He explained that she didn’t get much credit as an underclassman, as there were several very good seniors on the team. Then her junior year, the focus shifted on the individual events, and Emily began to really blossom into her own athlete.
Dawidowich has made a State trip each of her first three years twice with relays and last year as an individual in the 200 meters. Emily said that one of her main goals is to get back to state and earn an individual medal. Emily and her teammates will be competing tomorrow in the F-R-C-C meet at Sheboygan South.