Dakin Ebmeyer competed in the U20 championship in Eugene, Ore., after an impressive rookie season.

After a breakout first season with the Raiders that included eye-popping performances on a consistent basis, Dakin Ebmeyer ’27 had one more act still to come, this time in the 1,500 meters at the USA Track & Field U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Ebmeyer, the first Raider to compete in the U20 nationals since Cole Blair did it in 22, went head-to-head against the best in the nation in the two-day experience that began on June 12 at Hayward Field, the home of the University of Oregon.

The first-year from Wayne, Pa., finished in 10th place out of 12 athletes. Nevertheless, the experience was icing on the cake after a rookie season that well exceeded his expectations.

“It was an incredible experience to compete with some of the best athletes in track and field in the under 20 age group,” Ebmeyer said. “It was a really strong field, with a lot of great competition. Overall, I’m really happy with my performance, given how the whole season went.”

Ebmeyer punched his ticket to the U20 Championships when he broke the first-year record in the 1,500 at the Raleigh Relays on March 28, finishing with a time of 3:51.08.

The milestone added to a season in which Ebmeyer medaled at two other meets. In addition, he won his first career outdoor race at the Maryland Invitational on March 23 and earned the silver at the Buffalo Invitational on April 20. 

During the indoor season, he won the 3,000 meters at the Southern Tier Invite on Jan. 13 and placed second in the mile at the Ramapo College Opener on Jan. 20.

He finished fourth in the mile at the Patriot League Indoor Championships and helped Colgate’s distance medley earn a bronze. He was named the competition’s Rookie of the Meet. 

Ebmeyer entered the season wanting to be a contributor on a track team with more than 80 student-athletes. His goal was to score points at meets while also establishing himself in the classroom.

His academic goals were met. He’s leaning toward pursuing a double major in psychology and Spanish. But in competition, Ebmeyer achieved more than he could have fathomed. 

“I’m over the moon with how the first season went,” Ebmeyer said. “There’s always an adjustment period coming from high school to college for everybody. I’m so happy to have such a great group around me to support me on the track team.”

Success as a distance runner isn’t new to Ebmeyer. He arrived at Colgate with a plethora of awards that he won in high school as a cross country student-athlete. Along with setting multiple school records, Ebmeyer led his high school team to three Delaware Country championships and was the national champion in the DMR at the Nike Indoor Nationals.

But competing at the collegiate level proved to be a much greater challenge.

“There’s nothing that can prepare you in high school to when you get to college,” he said. “In high school, you’re watching the college races and all of a sudden, you’re in the college races with those people you were watching in years prior.”

Ebmeyer credits his teammates for providing guidance. Another crucial element to his success is the program’s emphasis on exposing first-year student-athletes to as much top competition as possible. 

“Throughout the year, we collectively as a team were really able to flourish in these big atmospheres. And the same goes for the U20 meet. It was another example in which getting to compete against the best of the best is the only way to experience it.”

Dakin Ebmeyer competes in the 1,500 meters at the USA Track & Field U20 Championships.

Coach Chelsea France said Ebmeyer demonstrated poise, grit, humility, and determination to be great at everything he did — factors that propelled him to a big year.

“In his first year he had broken a personal record, first year record, or school record almost every time he stepped on the track,” France said. “His marks this season are setting himself for a bright future in Colgate Track & Field history and I know he is just scratching the surface of his potential.

“The opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages for Track & Field at the USATF U20 Championship really cemented the end to a spectacular year,” she said. “I'm extremely proud of Dakin's success both on and off the track and look forward to witnessing his progression as a natural leader of our program."

For Ebmeyer, a crucial moment came in late January when the team competed at the Penn State National. Ebmeyer had a strong day against top competition — an outcome that made him believe he could succeed at the collegiate level.

“I ran a 3-second personal best in the mile that day,” he said. “The way that race panned out, it gave me a really big confident boost that made me think I could compete with some of these guys, and it really kind of changed the trajectory for the rest of the season.”

When Ebmeyer entered his junior year of high school, he started looking at colleges. Coming from a small school, he wanted an institution where class sizes were small. 

While running was important, Ebmeyer wanted a college he could call home even if he didn’t compete with the track team. Colgate was on his list. He reached out to track coaches, and soon he was touring the campus.

“I got to Colgate and it just clicked,” he said. “The atmosphere was nice, the tour was great.”

Now, with a year under his belt, Ebmeyer is eager to build on his success while helping the program excel.

“I’m ready to take the next step athletically for sure,” he said. “I’m certainly not going to be complacent after such a great year. I’m happy with how things went, but I want more. I want more not only for myself but for the team and for my teammates. I want us to elevate the program in all the ways that we can.”