A signing ceremony for Brownwood Lady Lion senior Sidney Windham took place Thursday afternoon at Warren Gym, as she will run both track and cross country at Abilene Christian University.
“The thing that stands out to me most about high school is running,” Windham said. “Being a part of cross country and track, we had two historic seasons this past school year. It was really cool to be part of both of those things.”
Windham was a member of the state champion Lady Lions track and field team and during her senior campaign she set new school record times in the 3200 meters (11:33.87) and 1600 meters (5:15.19) and finished fourth at the Region I-4A meet in both events.
Windham also posted the fastest time at state, finishing 16th in a school record time of 11:54.6, for the Lady Lions cross country team, whose seventh-place performance in November 2024 was the best-ever for a Brownwood girls team at the state cross country meet. The Lady Lions cross country team made their its appearance at the state meet since 2017.
All these accomplishments were achieved despite that fact that Windham in November was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a heart condition where the heart beats abnormally fast, often originating from the upper chambers of the heart. SVT happens when the electrical system that controls your heart rhythm is not working properly. This causes your heart to suddenly beat much faster. It can then slow down abruptly Windham eventually underwent a medical procedure to assist in the matter just last week.
“In the beginning there a little bit of unknown, I didn’t know if I would even be able to run anymore,” Windham said. “Coming out of cross country I had low iron, so figuring that out, too, we just wanted to set this season up for success. It was a hindrance, but it’s things like that that makes this all the more sweet.”
Windham also qualified for state in cross country as a junior where she posted a time of 12:42, good for 75th place at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
Lady Lions head track and cross country coach Chelsy Lipsey spoke at the ceremony and said, “It’s been a joy to watch Sidney grow as a runner and a person these last two years. She has poured so much into making this day possible which is what makes it so special. I remember meeting Sidney during track season of her sophomore year and it was easy to tell by talking to her that she had a love for running that very few have and that she was going to do whatever it took to be the best she could be at it. Your work ethic and drive to be the best you could be has been so inspiring and made everyone around you better. You have definitely left your mark as a Lady Lion and we are all so excited for you.”
The salutatorian of the Class of 2025 for Brownwood High School, Windham will major in Biology at ACU with aspirations to become a physician.
“I’ve always loved things in the medical field, I think the medical world is so cool and fascinating,” Windham said. “My parents are the biggest influence, my dad’s a veterinarian and my mom’s an oncology nurse. I’ve grown up knowing that world and because of that it introduced me to my love and passion for that.”
Windham is the daughter of Jeff and Whitney Windham.