Republic will send two runners to the state cross country championships after Gracie Troester and Catherine Wilson qualified at the Class 5 District 2 meet in Bolivar.
Troester finished sixth overall with a time of 19:24.47, while Wilson secured the final qualifying spot, placing 29th in 20:33.99. The top 30 runners advance to the state meet.
In the boys race, Will Payne was Republic’s top finisher, placing just outside the top-30 at 33rd.
For Troester, it marks her fourth consecutive state qualification, though this season has presented a different challenge because of an injury.
“This is my third official race of the season out of ten,” Troester said. “I knew I could make it (to state) from what I ran at COC last meet, but I still needed to hold myself to a standard that I might not be able to make it, because I knew I still had to work for it.”
Wilson’s path to qualification came down to the final stretch. Ranked 27th entering districts, she found herself in a battle for the last qualifying spots.
“All I could hear was places being yelled at me, and I knew I was right at the cutoff, so I just gave it everything I had,” Wilson said. “We were all together, and all I could hear was screaming, and I knew I had to give it everything, and it was a fight.”
Troester will spend the week managing her injury before the state meet.
“I’m going to have to work hard this week as much as I can with having patellar tendinitis in my knee,” Troester said. “Just hoping for the best, knowing that God’s got me, and whatever I run is for Him.”
For Wilson, the state qualification marks an unexpected achievement in her sophomore season.
“Beginning of the season, I would have never guessed I would make it to State,” Wilson said. “I’m just so happy I get to do it, and I get to run with Gracie.”
The Class 5 girls championship race will be held Friday morning at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
