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SPRINGFIELD — “It’s exilerating being in a race,” Greenwood junior Dannie Wilson says setting up her wickets.
Running at state would be nothing new to her.
“I want to make it on the podium.”
That would be new in 2018, to go along with a new school, a new coach, and a new approach.
Wilson qualified for four events as a freshman and three as a sophomore while at Mount Vernon.
But now it’s her dad, a first year coach at Greenwood, who’s pushing her.
“It was our agreement if we’re going to do track,” Daniel Wilson said, “we’re going to do it to the best of our ability.”
The training started in December, as soon as Dannie’s tennis season ended. Once her strength was in place, coach Wilson turned to his full time job as a professor at Missouri State in Biomechanics to further Dannie’s progress.
“Using principles of physics to study human motion,” Wilson who carries a PhD said, “which comes in handy when you’re coaching.”
“He fixed my running stance, my arms,” Dannie replied.
Simple tweaks helping Dannie’s times lead all of Class-1 in Missouri.
- Â 12.54 in the 100
- 26.24 in the 200
- 1.00.04 in the 400
- 17′, 4.5″ in the long jump.
“It’s 60% training, but genetics help,” Dannie said.
She credits her speed to her mom. Jennie Gorham won state titles in Missouri in the late ’70s and national titles with Nebraska in the early ’80s. Her dad was an accomplished long jumper, but he knows better than to take that credit.
“Jennie was probably a better long jumper than I was.”
But all of this science doesn’t mean anything unless you put your heart into it.
“Whatever sport she’s in, she gives you everything she has.”
And that’s why Greenwood’s Dannie Wilson is this week’s, Arby’s High School Athlete of the Week.
“I want to get to state, and do well, make the top eight and face the best in the state.”
