Donna seeks to escape her life of avoiding the advances of her legal guardian, her lecherous uncle, and takes a ride in a stolen car with bad boy Vince, who gets them involved in a hit-and-run accident.

Unable to escape, she is sent to McCarthy Reform School for Wayward Girls to take the fall for Vince because she does not know his last name and cannot identify him, but she is most upset that her uncle will now turn his attention toward her younger sister Cathy.

During an exercise break, her speed is noticed by Coach Buxbaum and reported to Headmistress Turnbull, an Olympic medal-winner who offers Donna early release if she wins a track competition at Velmont Academy, a girls' prep school in Hillsdale.

Donna becomes intimate with Carmen Peña, who is the fastest girl at the reform school but refuses to compete for Headmistress Turnbull because she does not want to owe her anything.

Vince befriends Cathy, then visits Donna in prison and explains that he was arrested for grand theft auto and the police are trying to connect him to the hit-and-run incident.