Emily Thompson Mead Year: Senior Sport: Track Event: Distance Events

Mead distance runner Emily Thompson is a triple threat. When the Panthers need a laugh, Thompson is bound to provide a joke; when they need support, Thompson provides the urging; when they need a leader, Thompson is in the front of the pack.

The senior captain is often in front of the pack when she’s competing, as evidenced by her district cross country title last fall and her wire-to-wire win in the 1,600 meters at the Pasco Invitational last weekend.

“That’s a scary way to run,” Thompson said after her seasonbest 5-minute, 11-second effort, “but I didn’t have a choice.”

Because of that, she wasn’t pushed closer to her goal of breaking 5 minutes.

“I feel good about it but I feel like I’m capable of a lot more. I’m looking at the future, I’m not going to stop there,” she said.

Mead used wins by Thompson, hurdler Autumn Wood, javelin thrower Allison Beatty and the 1,600 relay team to win the Pasco meet for the first time in 16 years.

“I was confident she would do real well,” Mead coach Annette Pederson said. “She’s so confident, she doesn’t flake out. Whenever we put Emily in a race I don’t worry about her. She gets the job done.”

That could be in the 800, 1,600 or 3,200 - a true triple threat.