The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Third generation Warrior qualifies for state meet

$Lebanon's Grace VanDeGrift finished 10th at the D-I girls race \uFEFFOct. 31. VanDeGrift will run Saturday, Nov. 7, at the state meet in Columbus. Staff photo by Barbara J. Perenic$

Barbara J. Perenic Lebanon's Grace VanDeGrift finished 10th at the D-I girls race \uFEFFOct. 31. VanDeGrift will run Saturday, Nov. 7, at the state meet in Columbus. Staff photo by Barbara J. Perenic

ENLARGE PHOTO

Reds’ Nix becomes free agent
4:42 p.m.
Unbeaten Bearcats work on running game
1:03 p.m.
Cincinnati QB could face jail in fake ID case
1:03 p.m.
OSU-UM a  holiday treat for Springboro grad
10:09 a.m.
UK game in past, Miami men’s hoops looks forward to Travelers tourney
9:10 a.m.
> More sports headlines

By Scott Hayes, Staff Writer 11:59 AM Thursday, November 5, 2009

Hot, cold, sand or mud. Regardless of the conditions, Grace VanDeGrift has proven that she can run cross country with the best.

The Lebanon High School junior will test her skills against Ohio’s best on Saturday, Nov. 7, when she competes in the Division I cross country state meet.

VanDeGrift qualified by finishing 10th at last weekend’s regional meet at Troy High School, crossing the finish line in 19 minutes, 31.94 seconds.

“I just want to go and do my best,” VanDeGrift said. “We’ll see how it goes. There’s certainly no pressure.”

VanDeGrift is accustomed to the big stage. As a freshman and a sophomore, she qualified for the 4A state meet in Florida while running for Durant High School out of Plant City, Fla.

“It’s really exciting to make the state championship my first year in Ohio after making it in Florida twice,” VanDeGrift said. “I take a lot of pride in that.

“It’s a lot different because running in Ohio, there are more hills and mud and it’s colder. But, in Florida, I had to deal with the heat and running on sand, so it kind of evens out. Running in the cold is different, but I like it a lot more than running when it’s hot.”

VanDeGrift moved to Lebanon just days prior to school starting. Getting to be a Warrior — and run in the stadium that is named after her grandfather, Jim, and where her father, Ty, played — is something she cherishes.

“It’s really special because my family is here and I get to race as a Warrior. It’s so cool to run in a stadium named after my grandpa,” VanDeGrift said.

“It’s a lot to live up to, and there’s a lot of pressure, but I like it. Dad played here, Grandpa coached here ... to be able to carry on that family tradition of being a Warrior is really something special.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4526 or shayes@coxohio.com.

Share this article