Each Gracie Troester performance down the stretch of the 2023 cross country season seemed to out-do the last.
At the state meet in Columbia, she put a cap on a fantastic season. She beat her previous best time on the state course in Columbia — one of the most difficult courses of the season — by more than two minutes. She finished seventh overall in Class 5, matching the all-time highest placement by a Republic girl at the state meet. And she set herself up for a strong junior track season in the spring and an even more exciting senior cross country season in 2024.