Demetria Davis can run fast. She estimates that she can probably beat 90 percent of the boys in her sophomore class at Messmer Catholic High School. On April 25 at a varsity invitational event, she was part of the winning 4X400 meter girls’ relay team. She finished second in the individual 400 meter finals and capped off the dominating performance as part of the winning 4X800 meter girls’ relay team that broke the school record by 17 seconds. In order even to qualify for the finals at a high school invitational, an individual or relay team first has to win a number of qualifying heats. Running numerous qualifying heats can rob a runner of their speed in the finals, but not Demetria. The two races in which she competed not only require slightly different running styles, they are also two of the most punishing events in track. “I’ve always loved running,” Demetria said, “even as a little girl I was really good at it. I’m one of the few students who likes gym.” During her first gym class as a freshman at Messmer, the gym teacher told the coed class to run around the track. She beat all but a handful of the fastest boys in her class, and true to her philosophy of ‘pushing forward’, Demetria said she made those boys who were cruising to the finish line work to stay ahead of her. “I ran as fast as I could,” Demetria said. “I wanted to make sure those boys that beat me had to work for it.” Already, Demetria has a plan for life after high school. She hopes to parlay her ability on the track into a college scholarship at either Marquette University or the University of Tennessee. After that, she wants to attend law school and specialize in criminal defense. “I want to solve things that people think can’t be solved,” she said. “I want to keep pushing and prove to people that things aren’t always the way they thought.” Demetria is the daughter of Sharron Davis and Demetrius Lynch. She attends Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 1717 W Meinecke Ave., every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., where she sings in two different choirs that perform at separate services. Last semester her grade point average was 3.58.
