Maddi Leigh of FHHS Wins State Championship in Track

Posted on 06/02/2017
Maddi Leigh running on the track during the State Championship.

On Saturday, May 27, Francis Howell High School (FHHS) senior Maddi Leigh took to the rain-soaked track at the Missouri State High School Track & Field Championships for the last time in her stellar athletic career, a day she and the Viking community will remember. Her All-State medals were already in the double digits, but she came to accomplish one goal – to win a state championship. Through her perseverance and spirit, both hallmarks of her FHHS career, she has excelled on the field and off. That day wasn’t any different, as she took home the state championship in the women’s 1600-meter race.

“It was pretty amazing, I knew I had worked hard for four years for a moment like this, and I’m glad my dream came true,” said Maddi. That wasn’t all, however, as she also became only the second female Viking to run a mile under five minutes.

A remarkable representative of the FHHS Viking community, Maddi has been a superstar not just on the track, but also in the classroom. A member of National Honor Society (NHS), Maddi has managed an outstanding 4.23 Grade Point Average (GPA) in her four years, despite the long hours of practice she has put in to reach her athletic goals, but she sees a connection. “Being committed in school really helps you work hard in everything you do,” she said, “and seeing improvements in athletics really motivates you to work hard in the classroom so you can go far later in life.”

To her principal, Dr. Dave Wedlock, Maddi stands out because of her character. “She made her exceptional character known through her persistent courage to do her best, even when she knew it may not have always been enough to win,” said Dr. Wedlock. “She has tenacious honesty in assessing her performances, and endless optimism that she is capable of performing at a higher level.”

Maddi was recently named the St. Charles County Sports Hall of Fame Female Athlete of the Year, in a county that has had so much athletic success. She’s a four-time Academic All-Conference honoree in both Cross Country and Track. Maddi was the GAC South Champion all four years of her high school career, winning the district championship in 2013, and qualified for the National Team in the 4x100. Her accomplishments are so numerous that one might wonder just how she able to keep up that GPA throughout her career. But anyone who knows Maddi will say her success was due to those qualities Dr. Wedlock mentioned – her persistent courage, tenacious honesty, and endless optimism.

“In the four years I have known Maddi,” Dr. Wedlock said, “these traits made it a joy to see her continuous improvement and an honor to have her wearing the Viking uniform.”

These are a few of Maddi Leigh’s accomplishments at FHHS:

Academic:
4.23 GPA
NHS Inductee
4x Academic All-Conference Cross Country
4x Academic All-Conference Track

Track/Cross Country
2017 St. Charles County Sports Hall of Fame Female Athlete of the Year

Cross Country: 
4x GAC South Champion
2013 District Champion 
4x Class 4 All-District
4x St. Louis Track Club All-Metro
4x St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro
All-Sectional
4x State Qualifier 
4x All-State 
18:08 5k ranks 3rd in Francis Howell history

Track: 
12x GAC South Champion
13x Class 5 All-District
8x Class 5 District Champion
13x Class 5 All-Sectional
10x Class 5 Sectional Champion
10x Class 5 All-State
Top 4 in 4 different events in Francis Howell history
3x Kansas Relays Qualifier

 

National:
4x100 National Team Member Qualifier

Maddi will be running NCAA Division I Cross Country and Track at Oakland University in the fall of 2017, and plans on majoring in physical therapy.

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