In the world of high school athletics, few stories capture the spirit of perseverance quite like the Lawhorn sisters of Wilson Memorial. Katie Lawhorn, a senior, and her younger sister Maddie, a sophomore, are soaring to new heights this season—literally.
On the last Saturday in April, Katie cleared a high jump that shattered the school record. But for those watching, the real victory wasn't just the mark in the record books. It was the fact that she was jumping at all.
Katie's journey back to the track has been anything but easy. At the end of her sophomore year, she developed painful shin splints. She took the summer off—no running, no jumping, no nothing—hoping to be ready for volleyball season. She made it through the fall, but the strain on her legs became unbearable.
"It was hurting really, really bad, even when I was just walking around," she recalls.
After volleyball, she took three weeks off, then tried indoor track. Nothing worked. Physical therapy didn't help either. An MRI finally revealed the culprit: four fractures in her right leg. Her track season was over. Again, she rested through the summer.
As one of the top volleyball players in the Shenandoah District, Katie hoped to return to the court this past fall. Instead, she got devastating news.
"When I realized I wasn't going to play at all in volleyball, it was pretty devastating," she says. "Knowing my entire season was wiped out was pretty difficult."
Her younger sister Maddie felt the loss too. "It was sad she had to sit out volleyball season because I was so excited to play with her," says Maddie, who was making her varsity debut. "That would have been so cool to play together."
Sitting out volleyball—and indoor track—turned out to be the best decision for Katie's long-term health. Her coach, Mark Rosson, notes that she even stepped up as a valuable assistant during indoor season, filming and supporting teammates.
Now, with outdoor track season in full swing, Katie and Maddie are both making their mark. For these sisters, every jump is a celebration—not just of records, but of resilience, recovery, and the joy of competing side by side.