Grace Staton '18 Recruiting Profile

    I've been running competitively since I was eight years old.  What started as a curiosity, turned into a passion. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent youth coach, whom I trained with until I entered high school.  He not only helped me excel at the sport, he taught me sportsmanship. Sometimes losing a race helps strengthen you mentally to overcome obstacles.  This proved to be a valuable lesson when I entered high school.  I had a very successful Freshman year, breaking school records, and running consistently.  As I entered my Sophomore year I had a growth spurt in which I grew three plus inches, primarily in my legs.   The downside was my muscles had not fully developed to match my new height.  This impacted my ability to race at the level I am capable of.  I had to accept this as a part of being an athlete.  As I started to train for my Junior year of Cross Country, I suffered a stress fracture which sidelined me for the entire season.  This was a huge disappointment for not only me, but my entire Varsity team whom I felt I let down.  I had to let go of this disappointment and instead let it motivate me to work harder to achieve my goals.  I am currently training hard for my Junior year of Distance Track which will demonstrate what I am capable of.

    I am looking forward to the prospect of running at the collegiate level.  I know that I can be a definite asset to any team that I am lucky enough to be a part of.  I will not only bring my athletic ability, but also the determination to help achieve the goals that my coach sees in me as well as my teammates.  I am looking for a program that will challenge me and a coach that will develop my skills to the next level.  While running is a individual sport, it takes a team to truly be successful.