Claire Is No Run Of the Mill Student
School: Lexington Catholic High
Grade: 12
Sport: Soccer
Academics: Claire has a 4.0 unweighted GPA, has taken five A.P. classes and scored 31 on the ACT.
Parents: Elaine & David
When Claire Wilhite of Lexington Catholic was born, she didn’t hit the ground running, it just seemed that way.
Born into a family of runners, Claire has competed in 5Ks for as long as she can remember.
Her mother and father are dedicated runners, and her two older brothers came of age while competing in 5Ks with mom and dad.
Claire did the same and also followed her brothers into another family sport – soccer. Both brothers played, and her father, David, took up the sport right after high school.
Claire has played since she was 4 and just capped her high school career by helping Lexington Catholic to a school-record 24-win season.
The Lady Knights advanced to the State final where they lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Sacred Heart.
A 5-foot-11, 145-pound defender with the best throw-in around, Claire was named the team’s most versatile player as a junior and earned All-District and All-Regional recognition as a senior.
Her two favorite memories are the team’s run to the State final this year and winning Lexington Catholic’s Challenge Cup title last year.
While gratifying, those accomplishments take a back seat to Claire’s work in the classroom.
She’s a straight-A student with a 4.0 GPA and has taken five A.P. classes. She has realized one goal by matching her father’s score on the ACT – 31.
She is a first team Academic All-State selection and has the team’s highest GPA.
She maintains high grades despite numerous extracurricular activities and working a job at Panera that has her up on weekends before dawn.
“She’s a real night owl,” her mother Elaine said. “She will stay up as late as she needs to get her work done.
“She’s organized, a self-starter, self-motivated and competitive.”
Claire is a National Honor Society and Beta Club member, treasurer of the school service club, and coached second and third graders to two Battle of the Books championships.
A painter who also works in ceramics, she has a heart for service. Claire has taken mission trips to Eastern Kentucky and Grenada.
“Being able to help people is gratifying, and you get a sense of joy when you’re working with them,” she said.
About the only thing Claire hasn’t done is run on the school track team – odd given her family’s avocation.
But she’s fixing that. She plans to run the hurdles this season.
More hurdles? That should be no problem for Claire.