STANBERRY, Mo. - Southwestern Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Scott Vicker announced the recent signing of Stanberry, Missouri, standout Marli Hilton.
Hilton will join the Spartan track & field team for the 2025-26 season after graduating from Stanberry R-II High School this spring.
Hilton is coming off a stellar junior track season for the Bulldogs that culminated with her finishing third overall in the Class 1 400 meters at the Missouri High School State Athletic Association Championships. Hilton ran 1:01.14 in prelims of the 400 meter dash before clocking a 1:00.70 in finals to finish third, just .36 seconds out of first place. Hilton is a four-time state qualifier, placing in the top eight of all four events. As a freshman, she ran on Stanberry's Class 1 state championship 4x200 relay team and seventh-place 4x400 relay team. As a sophomore, Hilton finished eighth in the 400 meter dash.
In addition to being a star on the track, Hilton was also a key part of Stanberry's Class 1 third-place softball team this past fall. Hilton was named to the All-Tournament Team at the state championships, in addition to receiving first-team all-district and all-region honors. She was also a member of the academic all-state team.
Outside of athletics, Hilton has been active at Stanberry R-II High School, participating in Science Olympiad and being a member of the Bulldog's Bark newspaper and yearbook staff for three years. She has also been involved with FFA, FCCLA, FBLA, National Honor Society, and student council, all while also being active with her church and maintaining three jobs. As a junior, she was a Girls State Delegate and the recipient of the MSHSAA Leadership Award.
"We are incredibly excited to have Marli be a part of our SWCC track & field family next year," Vicker said. "She is obviously a great competitor on the track, but most importantly, she is a quality human being and great leader. She is going to be an important part of what we do on the women's side moving forward, and I am excited about the opportunity to work with her."
Hilton is the daughter of Shane and Kelli Hilton of Stanberry. She plans to study business at Southwestern.