After making mark on Quaker Valley community, senior runner headed to Emory

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Kwilai Karto has made an indelible impression in her three-and-a-half years so far as a student-athlete at Quaker Valley.

She is a fourth-year member of the QV track and field program and competed for two seasons on the girls swim team. She also ran for the girls cross country team in her freshman and senior seasons.

“Kwilai’s story is one of perseverance and self-discipline, and I think it’s what makes her so special,” said Ryan Kelly, QV’s cross country coach. “She’s not just an accomplished athlete but also a wonderful person who has made a meaningful impact on our school community. Her humility and genuine care for others are qualities that set her apart.

“Throughout her career, Kwilai has been a key contributor of our program. Not only has she achieved great personal success, but she has also been a motivating force for her teammates. Her leadership, positive attitude and dedication have elevated the culture of our team, leaving a lasting legacy for years to come.”

Karto, a 5-foot-8 speedster, is 18 years old.

“I am looking forward to another exciting year with the track team,” she said. “One of our goals is to achieve a fourth WPIAL team title.

“For myself, my expectations include working on continuing my speed and incorporating more strength training. Some of my best performances last season were in the open 100, 200 and 400. My favorite event is the 4-by-100-meter relay.”

Karto’s favorite high school memory was celebrating the boys and girls track and field teams’ WPIAL 2A championships last season.

“I also have enjoyed many of our invitationals such as Butler over the years,” she said. “Invitationals can make for long days but are always amazing team bonding experiences.”

Naturally, Karto will serve as a team captain in the spring track and field season.

“Since Kwilai was in eighth grade, our coaching staff knew that her potential was limitless,” said Jared Jones, QV’s track and field coach. “She showed talent in about a dozen different events, and it was challenging to determine where she might be most successful.

“Last season, prior to the WPIAL championships, Kwilai was ranked in the top 8 in six different events, including as a member of two different relay teams. She ultimately decided to compete in the 100-meter dash, 100 hurdles, 4-by-100 relay and 4-by-400 relay. Kwilai qualified for state championships in all four events. Over the course of the last three years, we have gotten more and more out of her, but I still suspect there is a lot more room for growth.”

Karto, with a cumulative GPA of 4.86, is a member of the Black Student Union, Key Club and student council. She is one of the senior yearbook editors and also serves as a student representative on the school board.

“Off the track, Kwilai is an amazing student,” Jones said. “She is very dedicated, hardworking and puts forth her best effort at all times.

“It is going to be very exciting to see what she can do on the track her senior year.”

The multi-faceted senior plans to take her many talents to Emory University in the fall where she will major in finance and economics and participate in the track and field program.

“Emory is getting an amazing young person that has a chance to be a major contributor to their team as a freshman,” Jones said, “with more potential to improve during her time there. The sky is truly the limit for Kwilai on and off the track.”

Emory is a private research university. Its main campus is in the Druid Hills neighborhood, three miles from downtown Atlanta.

“In all honesty, the reason I am attending Emory has almost nothing to do with me and everything to do with God’s guidance,” Karto said. “Up until this past year, participating on a track team in college wasn’t on my mind. My high school track and field coaches, particularly our head coach, Jared Jones, invited me to reach out to college coaches and encouraged me to not underestimate myself.

“Even then, there was a time this past track season I wanted to end the recruitment process completely and apply to schools purely based on academics. The very next day, I received a message from coach (Derek) Nelson from Emory’s Track team inviting me to take a phone call. Opportunities with other schools were never taken for granted, but time and time again it became clear that Emory was the right fit. Moments such as these ones have shown me that although it’s easy to think far ahead, it is important to trust the one who is in control.”

Emory’s 18 varsity sports teams are members of the NCAA Division III University Athletic Association. Emory consistently ranks among top schools in the Directors’ Cup for best all-around athletics program.

Kelly has no doubts Karto will be a big hit in college.

“I am confident Kwilai will thrive at Emory, both academically and athletically,” he said. “She has the talent and determination to make an impact on their track and field program, and I know she will continue to excel as a student.

“Her commitment to self-improvement and her ability to inspire those around her will serve her well at the next level.”

QV has three National Merit semifinalists for 2025 and three “commended students,” including Karto.

Another highlight of her senior year was being voted homecoming queen. Willy Winnowski was homecoming king.

“I felt very honored,” Karto said. “I’ve been blessed with a wonderful support system of students, teachers, family and community members throughout my time at Quaker Valley. I feel very grateful to have been shown their encouragement and support the night of the homecoming game.

“The best thing about Quaker Valley is the community. It’s such a tight-knit one. I really appreciate the close relationships I have with my fellow peers and also my teachers. Even people who I maybe haven’t seen in a while, they’ll always check in and say, ‘How are you doing? How can I reach out and help you?’ I really appreciate how caring everyone is for one another.”

There are two impressionable proteges in the Karto family who undoubtedly are enamored by their older sister’s achievements.

Younger sister Leasia is a freshman member of the QV girls basketball team while younger brother Tharli is in seventh grade and enjoys swimming with the Sewickley Sea Dragons. Tharli also plans to give track and field a try in the spring.

In what free time she has, Karto works as a lifeguard at the Edgeworth Club and volunteers at her church.

“Kwilai is an exceptional person who embodies the definition of a student-athlete,” Kelly said. “She is driven, disciplined and consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic both in the classroom and with her athletic pursuits especially on the cross country course and track.

“Her ability to balance her academic and athletic commitments with such poise has been truly inspiring.”

Tags: Quaker Valley