COLUMBUS — Earning a spot near the top of the awards podium at the Division III state girls track and field meet feels like only the beginning for Ottawa Hills freshman Natalie Nixon.

After being the Green Bears’ No. 1 runner last fall at the state cross country meet despite missing significant regular-season action because of injury, Nixon set out to have a healthy spring season and to see just how far she’d come.

As it turns out, she’s grown from that experience, capped by a third-place finish (11 minutes, 6.18 seconds) in the 3,200 meters Saturday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“I haven’t gotten any injuries this spring season and I worked extra hard because I wanted to have a comeback season in track,” Nixon said. “I feel like I accomplished that. My next step is real

See Full Page