The 5-foot-10 freshman won the 800-meter run and ran the anchor leg for the winning 4x400-meter relay at the Division 1 state meet this past season, leading the Panthers to a ninth-place finish as a team. Willis, who set a national freshman record in the 800 at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, also won the 800 at the Brooks PR Invitational with a state-record time of 2:04.86, which ranked No. 3 in the nation among prep competitors at the time of her selection. She ranked in the Top 70 nationally in both the 400-meter dash and the 1,600-meter run.
Willis has maintained a weighted 3.96 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.
Willis plays violin at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Aber Suzuki Center. She has volunteered locally at the Portage County Cultural Festival.
