The 5-foot-4 junior won the Class 2 state meet title this past season with a time of 18:13.5, breaking the tape 1:03.1 ahead of her next-closest competitor. Wilkes was undefeated during the spring season, including a 25-second win at the Pole Green Spring Championships. Running as an individual in the fall, Wilkes won the Gravely Hill Fall Fest and finished 36th at the national XC Town USA Meet of Champions.
Wilkes has maintained a weighted 4.17 GPA in the classroom and ranks No. 1 in her class. She will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
The president-elect of the Glenvar High BETA service club, Wilkes took first in the impromptu speaking category at a regional competition for the Future Business Leaders of America. She has volunteered locally at the Rescue Mission of Roanoke and as a peer mentor.