Gracie Troester did more than just win the Richard Clark Invite at Bolivar Saturday in the first big cross country test of the season. She demolished the competition from all over southwest Missouri.
In a race with nearly 200 entrants, Troester finished 47 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Her time of 18:37.40 was 14 seconds better than her previous best time last year — blasting away her own school record. She also ran the course in Bolivar faster than any high school girl ever has, by a wide margin.
“I didn’t really have people pushing me, but I had the crowd that was screaming, so I knew where some people were — and then I also had my watch to see where I need to be,” Troester said of her pace.
Her performance in the opening cross country race of the season was our Performance of the Week.
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