BY SCOTT NICKERSON
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Stanhope Elmore High School Freshman Emily Peterson has been busy in the second semester of her first year in high school. Peterson is a member of the Lady Mustangs varsity soccer team, the varsity track and field team, and was involved in the high school theatre team that put on a recent production of “Mama Mia.”
Peterson, the oldest of four children in a military family, was born in Tacoma, Washington, and had lived in seven different states before arriving in Alabama on July 4, 2021.
She started playing recreational soccer at four-years-old when she lived in South Carolina. Upon moving to Kansas, she played with a base team for two years. The family’s next destination was Virginia, and Peterson was one of more than 110 girls that tried out for a travel team in Arlington. She made the team and played with them for two years before moving to Texas and playing for a travel team named Arsenal Soccer based out of Cibolo, Texas. Upon arriving in Millbrook, Peterson made the Lady Mustangs girls soccer team as an 8th grader and is in her second season with the team. Peterson scored her first goal of the season recently in a 7-0 win over Jeff Davis. She cited that as her favorite moment so far in her high school soccer career.
Peterson is also an important member of the Stanhope Elmore girls track and field team. Having started running track in Texas, she initially competed in pole vault and the mile run. Her best time in the mile in 7th grade was 6:12.
She joined the Lady Mustangs track and field team in 9th grade. At the Wetumpka High School Invitational in March, Peterson had the Mustangs’ best time in the 1600 meters, finishing 6th overall among all female participants with a time of 6:37. A few days later, Peterson competed in the River Regional Invitational and improved her time considerably, finishing 10th overall, and again as the Mustangs’ top runner, with a time of 6:19.
Peterson’s goal is to get under six minutes in the mile, and hopes to qualify to compete in the state meet in Gulf Shores in May, which she will be able to do if she can shave four seconds off her time and get to the 6:15 mark. Her ultimate goal, however, is to earn a college scholarship in track and continue her career at the next level.
The soccer and track athlete found an additional love for theatre while taking an elective class, Theatre 1 and Technical Theatre, her freshman year. Her theatre teacher encouraged her to participate in the Christmas play, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” She enjoyed it so much, she tried out for the Spring production of “Mama Mia,” and earned the leading role of Sophie. Peterson had to learn a two-hour production of lines, multiple solos, and choreographed dances. She also had to help build the sets and learn all the background production that goes into putting on a play. “Mama Mia” was held for three different nights in the Spring.
In preparation for all this, Peterson attended soccer practice four nights a week and after went to theatre practice. She also had theatre on Saturday and Sunday nights. On the one night she didn’t have soccer or theatre, she’d go to track practice.
She’s learned a lot from her freshman year. “Theatre has helped me build confidence and speak in front of a crowd. Track has helped me set personal goals to push myself, and soccer has taught me how to be a part of a team, win or lose,” Peterson said.
Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of all, is that Peterson has done all this, and still maintained straight A’s!
