Aru Venugopalan ’24
Dakin Ebmeyer ‘23 is known for his energy, skill, dedication, and leadership among the cross country and track teams at EA.
Ebmeyer explains, “I first began running in 6th grade in the spring for sports as a way to be in-shape, hang out with friends, and do a pretty low-key sport. However, I only really started running as my primary sport in 9th grade and gained my passion during 10th grade. I was supposed to play golf in the fall of my freshman year before breaking my wrist over the summer. Therefore, I decided to run cross country.”
Ebmeyer has had a very fruitful and successful running career, with accolades that include First Team All-League Cross Country 2021, Second Team All-State Cross Country 2021, Honorable Mention All-DELCO Cross Country 2021, Honorable Mention All-DELCO Indoor Track 2022, First Team All-League Outdoor Track 2022, and Honorable Mention All-State and DELCO Outdoor Track 2022. Dakin’s success in running is not only due to his natural ability, but also due to his thoughtful sportsmanship.
Ebmeyer’s coaches and teammates are quick to commend him for his leadership and motivational attitude. Aidan McHugh ‘23 says, “Dakin is an amazing teammate and leader. He is the kind of guy you want to have on your team and is a constant motivation to the team.”
Photo courtesy of Dakin Ebmeyer ’23
Michael Woolery ‘24 agrees, adding, “Dakin is not only a leader because of his motivational skills, but because he organizes the team during practices and makes sure that each and every one of us is ready to work hard that day.” James Farrell, Head Coach of the Boys Cross Country Team, says, “Dakin has the ability to not only lead by example but through his words as well. This comes naturally to him, and he flourishes as a leader.”
Ebmeyer is also characterized as a caring and hard worker, always leading by example. Farrell states, “Dakin is not only concerned about himself, but about everyone on the team. He is constantly checking on his teammates to make sure that they are ready for a practice or a race.”
Woolery addresses Ebmeyer’s work ethic, commenting that “Dakin’s passion for the sport is very apparent in the effort he puts into practice each and every day. He is always the first one there and the last one to leave, and he is always looking for new opportunities and ways to improve.”
Woolery and McHugh’s favorite story of Ebmeyer is during a meet at Haverford. Woolery explains, “Dakin needed to run a certain time to qualify for the DELCO Championships and had a lot of pressure going into this race. We were all anxious to see what he would run, and to everyone’s surprise, he shocked us all by crushing his time, running a personal best of 1:57.”
Some of Ebmeyer’s favorite memories from his high school running career are winning Inter-Acs his freshman year for the first time in six years, coming second in all of Pennsylvania during the winter track season last year, and winning the Inter-Ac title for the first time in 42 years and the PAISAA title for the first time ever.
Ebmeyer will continue his running career at Colgate University after he graduates from EA at the end of this school year. Farrell remarks, “Right now Dakin runs about 50 miles a week, but in college, he will be required to run a considerable amount more. From what I have seen coaching Dakin, I don’t think this will be a problem for him because of his determination and attention to detail. Dakin takes care of himself making sure to eat and stay healthy, and for these reasons, the ceiling is the limit for Dakin once he reaches college.”