The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, the 5-foot junior set a meet record in the mile at the Penn Relays this past season. Starcher’s time of 4:38.19 is a state record and ranked No. 1 in the nation among prep competitors at the time of her selection, and No. 9 in girls prep history. Starcher set meet records in the 800-meter run, the 1,600-meter run and as the anchor of Ripley’s winning 4x400 relay team at the Class AAA state meet, leading the Vikings to the state title as a team. Starcher’s owns the state record in the outdoor 800, having clocked a 2:07.42 to earn All-American status with her sixth-place finish at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor. Also the state’s 2017-18 Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, she ranked in the Top 30 in the nation in the 800, 1,500, 1,600 and 3,200 at the time of her selection.
Starcher has maintained a weighted 4.31 GPA in the classroom and ranks No. 1 in her class. She will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
A member of the Ripley High student council, Starcher founded the Ripley Youth Running Club, which promotes running skills and physical fitness. She has also volunteered locally as part of multiple community-service projects through her church youth group.
