MATTOON (AP) — Leah Oathout is a quick study.

Clocked at speeds about 80 mph, the student at Lake Land College in Mattoon proceeded rapidly with her coursework at the Coles County Dragway. An automotive major dabbling in extracurricular drag racing for the last two years, the sophomore from Bethany aced her toughest test in October when she won the final race of the season, and the whole championship, in the "Powder Puff" all-female division.

"I believe I won by 1 point and something like 5-hundredths of a second," says the modest and petite Oathout, 20, who has the faintest trace of grease under her manicured nails. "But, I am going to be honest, it was a big thrill to win."