Nixa's first Guaranty Bank Athlete of the Week of the spring season is junior sprinter and Nixa's 100m dash record holder Nixa Taylor Hopper.

Hopper and the Eagles competed at the Branson Invitational on March 28, and she had a record-setting performance. Hopper competed in the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash and swept the entire field with first-place finishes. In the 200, she clocked in with a time of 26.12, setting a new school record and surpassing Allison Brumley's previous record of 26.20 set in 2019. Hopper won the 100 with a time of 12.75 and 400 at 59.71, helping Nixa to a runner-up finish out of nine teams.

This marks the second meet where Hopper had top individual finishes in the sprints, as she placed first at the Neosho Open (March 22) in the 100 and 400 with times of 12.95 and 1:00.70. 

"Taylor has been focused on improving since the end of last season. She started working as soon as she could last summer and has been consistent in preparation through the fall and winter. I know Taylor prefers to lead by example, which she does, but she has demonstrated her commitment to being a vocal leader this year. She encourages her teammates and, when necessary, challenges them to be better," said coach Zac Nelson.

"At Branson, we faced the best competition so far this season, and Taylor accepted the challenge. She ran a season-best in the 100m, a personal best in the 400m of 59.71 (.21 seconds from the school record), and set the school record in the 200m with a time of 26.12 seconds.

She [Hopper] understands it is a long season, and we plan to be at our best at the end of the year when we will be competing against the best competition. She will continue to work and improve. The goal is to be the best version of herself, not just the fastest female athlete in Nixa history," also stated Nelson.