Emma Deana Paninka: From the Canary Islands to American Collegiate Athletics
A Spanish triple jumper making her mark at Central Methodist University
Island Beginnings
Emma Deana Paninka hails from Fuerteventura, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the northwestern coast of Africa. Growing up in Pájara, a municipality on the southern end of this windswept Atlantic island, Emma developed her athletic talents far from the traditional powerhouses of Spanish track and field. Fuerteventura is known for its stunning beaches, volcanic landscapes, and steady trade winds—not necessarily for producing world-class athletes. Yet from this remote corner of Spain emerged a determined young jumper who would eventually carry her dreams across the Atlantic Ocean.
Youth Career and the EAMJ Playas de Jandía
Emma’s introduction to competitive athletics came through the EAMJ Playas de Jandía, one of the most storied athletics clubs in the Canary Islands. Founded in 1990 by José Espino Morales in the small town of Morro Jable, the club grew from humble beginnings—training on makeshift facilities with limited resources—into a respected force in Spanish athletics. The club’s motto, “Nuestra meta la construimos juntos” (“We build our goal together”), speaks to the collaborative spirit that shaped Emma’s early development.
Training at the Municipal Stadium in Gran Tarajal, Emma worked alongside her sister Yanira under the guidance of the club’s dedicated coaching staff. The sisters attended IES Jandía, where they balanced their academic responsibilities with the demands of serious athletic training. Despite the challenges of competing from a relatively isolated island with limited infrastructure, Emma steadily improved in the horizontal jumps, showing particular promise in the triple jump.
The EAMJ Playas de Jandía has produced numerous athletes who have gone on to compete at the national and international level, and Emma became part of this proud tradition. The club’s emphasis on grassroots development and community support provided the foundation that would eventually launch her toward opportunities in American collegiate athletics.
The American Dream: A Scholarship to Central Methodist University
In April 2022, the Pájara municipal government publicly congratulated Emma and her sister Yanira for earning athletic scholarships to study in the United States—a remarkable achievement for two young athletes from such a small community. The mayor of Pájara, Pedro Armas, and the councilor for sports, Manuel Rodríguez, welcomed the sisters to the town hall, celebrating what they called “a recognition of the great work of the two young women, their families, and the club to which they belong.”
The councilor noted at the time: “With this achievement, we demonstrate once again the quality and talent of the sport in our municipality, a sign that a historic club like EAMJ Playas de Jandía continues to do things very well.”
Emma enrolled at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri, joining the Eagles’ track and field program in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The university, a private Methodist institution founded in 1854, competes at the NAIA Division I level and has built a competitive athletics program across multiple sports.
Collegiate Career at Central Methodist
Emma arrived at Central Methodist as a jumper, specializing in the triple jump and long jump while occasionally contributing in the 3000-meter race walk. Over her four-year career with the Eagles, she has developed into one of the program’s most reliable performers in the horizontal jumps.
Personal Bests
Emma’s collegiate career has seen consistent improvement in her primary events:
Triple Jump:
- Indoor: 11.00m (36′ 1.25″) – Heart of America Championships, February 2025
- Outdoor: 10.91m (35′ 9.5″) – Heart of America Conference Championships, May 2024
Long Jump:
- Indoor: 4.49m (14′ 8.75″) – NAIA/JUCO Challenge, January 2023
- Outdoor: 4.82m (15′ 9.75″) – CMU Open, March 2025
Progression and Development
Emma’s trajectory in the triple jump tells the story of a dedicated athlete who has steadily improved throughout her collegiate career:
| Season | Best Triple Jump |
|---|---|
| 2022-23 Indoor | 10.12m |
| 2023 Outdoor | 10.24m |
| 2023-24 Indoor | 10.51m |
| 2024 Outdoor | 10.91m |
| 2024-25 Indoor | 11.00m |
| 2025 Outdoor | 10.85m |
Breaking the 11-meter barrier during the 2025 indoor season represented a significant milestone, showcasing the continuous refinement of her technique and explosive power. Her consistency has made her a valuable contributor to the Eagles’ team scoring at conference meets.
Versatility as an Athlete
While the triple jump remains her signature event, Emma has demonstrated remarkable versatility. She has competed in the long jump throughout her career and has even contributed points in the 3000-meter race walk at conference championships—an event that requires a completely different skill set from the explosive jumping events. This willingness to compete wherever the team needs her speaks to her competitive spirit and team-first mentality.
Emma also contributed to the Eagles’ relay success, running a leg of the winning 4×800-meter relay (11:24.71) at the 2024 Culver-Stockton Wildcat Open—another example of her athletic versatility.
2025-26 Season: Senior Year
Now in her senior year (2025-26 academic year), Emma enters her final season as a seasoned veteran of the Central Methodist program. The early results have been promising: she opened the 2025-26 indoor season with a 10.64m triple jump at the Washburn Alumni Invite in December 2025 and followed with a 10.43m effort at the 2026 Coach Alsup Invite in January.
As she approaches the culmination of her collegiate career, Emma will look to build on her indoor personal best and compete for conference honors at the Heart of America Championships. Her experience and technical development position her well for a strong finish to her time as an Eagle.
Competition Highlights
Throughout her career, Emma has competed at numerous meets across the Midwest, testing herself against athletes from the NAIA and beyond:
- Heart of America Conference Championships: A consistent scorer for Central Methodist, Emma has regularly placed among the top finishers in the triple jump at the conference’s annual indoor and outdoor championships.
- CMU Open and CMU Invite: As home meets for the Eagles, these events have often served as springboards for Emma’s best performances, including her outdoor long jump personal best of 4.82m at the 2025 CMU Open.
- Mule Relays (University of Central Missouri): Competing against a mix of NCAA Division II and NAIA programs, these meets have provided valuable experience against high-level competition.
- Mizzou Alexis Jarrett Invitational: Emma has had the opportunity to compete at the University of Missouri’s facility, one of the premier track and field venues in the region.
The Family Connection
Emma’s journey to American collegiate athletics has been a family affair. Her sister Yanira followed a similar path, also earning a scholarship through EAMJ Playas de Jandía and initially competing at Central Methodist before transferring to Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Yanira has excelled in middle-distance events and hurdles, earning conference honors and making program history at SXU.
The sisters’ parallel journeys—from a small island in the Atlantic to successful collegiate careers in the American Midwest—represent an inspiring story of determination and family support. Coming from a part of Spain where access to proper track facilities was limited, both have demonstrated that talent and dedication can overcome geographical and infrastructural challenges.
Life Beyond the Track
At Central Methodist, Emma has balanced her athletic pursuits with her academic responsibilities. The university offers a traditional liberal arts education with a variety of majors across the sciences, humanities, and professional programs. International student-athletes like Emma bring valuable perspectives to campus life, enriching the university community with their diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Central Methodist’s location in Fayette, a small Missouri town of approximately 2,600 residents, offers a stark contrast to the resort beaches of Fuerteventura. Yet the tight-knit campus community and the support of coaches and teammates have helped Emma thrive far from home.
Looking Ahead
As Emma Deana Paninka enters the final stretch of her collegiate career, she stands as a testament to the global reach of American collegiate athletics and the opportunities it provides for talented athletes from around the world. From the beaches of Fuerteventura to the heartland of Missouri, her journey exemplifies the power of sport to transcend borders and create new possibilities.
The EAMJ Playas de Jandía, the club that nurtured her early development, can take pride in another product of their youth program succeeding on the international stage. And for the municipality of Pájara, Emma and her sister represent the kind of hometown success stories that inspire the next generation of young athletes training in the shadow of Fuerteventura’s volcanic peaks.
Whatever comes next for Emma—whether continued competition, a professional career, or a transition into the next chapter of her life—her years at Central Methodist have established her as a capable, versatile, and dedicated athlete. The Canary Islands have sent one of their own to make her mark in American collegiate athletics, and Emma Deana Paninka has risen to meet that challenge.
Current Statistics (as of January 2026):
- Events: Triple Jump, Long Jump
- Class: Senior (SR-4)
- School: Central Methodist University
- Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference
- Hometown: Pájara, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain
- Youth Club: EAMJ Playas de Jandía
Personal Bests:
- Triple Jump (Indoor): 11.00m / 36′ 1.25″
- Triple Jump (Outdoor): 10.91m / 35′ 9.5″
- Long Jump (Outdoor): 4.82m / 15′ 9.75″
- Long Jump (Indoor): 4.49m / 14′ 8.75″
