Senior Sophia Katechis became the first girl in NVOT history to qualify for the State Meet of Champions (SMOC) in the 2-mile, marking a major milestone in her high school career. The achievement closes out a standout indoor track season where she beat the school’s indoor record of 11:28 and then beat her own record, first with a time of 11:17 and second with a time of 11:07. Now, she is set to compete at Nationals on March 14.
Katechis’ journey to this achievement has been anything but easy. Over the years, she battled five stress fractures, forcing her to miss five straight seasons. Despite these setbacks, she remained determined, putting in extra hours of training, both in and out of practice. “I always put in extra work at the gym after practice, early mornings before school, and even during my free periods,” Katechis said. “Seeing it all pay off was incredibly rewarding.”
At SMOC she delivered a strong performance, solidifying her place among the top runners in the state. With Nationals approaching, she sees the event as a celebration of her seasons rather than a high-stakes competition. “For me, Nationals is just a victory lap to celebrate everything I’ve accomplished this season,” she said. Rather than focusing on training for the race, she is using the time to rest and prepare for the spring track season.
First-year NVOT distance coach, Owen Ross, has played a key role in Katechis’ success. From the start of the season, he saw her potential and pushed her to exceed her expectations. “To have Sophia be the first athlete to qualify for SMOC in the 2-mile speaks to her dedication,” Ross said. “She’s put herself in the books as one of the best to do it, setting two school records in two weeks.”
Katechis will compete against some of the best runners in the country at Nationals, a stage she never imagined reaching just a few months ago. Regardless of the outcome, her journey has already left a lasting impact on NVOT’s track and field program, securing her legacy as one of the school’s top distance runners.
