Late in the day at the district girls track meet, Republic and Nixa were locked in a battle for first place. The next-to-last event, the 3200-meter run, shaped up to be a good one for Republic, with Gracie Troester heavily favored to earn 10 team points with a win.
But alongside Troester, Republic entered freshman Catherine Wilson, who came into the race seeded ninth. Only the top eight finishers earn points, and throughout the race, Wilson was locked in a three-way battle with Nixa’s Emma Etheridge and Kickapoo’s Lexie Stewart in the 7-8-9 spots.
Wilson put in a strong kick during the last half-lap, surging past both Etheridge and Stewart at the finish. That earned two team points for Republic, and just as importantly, limited Nixa’s point total in the event. As she crossed the finish line, Wilson collapsed—having shaved more than 12 seconds off her previous best time at a crucial moment in the district meet.
Both Republic and Nixa finished with 141 team points, and Wilson’s late-day surge was a big reason why Republic shared the district championship with Nixa. Her gutsy effort, with its dramatic timing, is our Performance of the Week.
