Grady Keding '13 Recruiting Profile

Sports have been a huge part of my life since I was 4 years old and starting having cartwheel competitions with my brother.  Being involved in organized and recreational gymnastics, soccer, ice skating, track, and cheerleading has made me who I am today and taught me dedication and discipline.  Being only 5'4" tall and weighing 115 lbs hasn't held me back from challenging myself (or my older brothers who both wrestled).  Up until my freshman year in high school, gymnastics was my life, practicing 20 + hours a week. While climbing a rope (upside down) in 8th grade, during my brothers wrestling practice, the head track coach noticed my strength and strongly suggested that I joined the girls track team the following  year.  After being very reluctant, I went to the track and field meeting and have been in love with pole vaulting ever since.  After my sophomore year, I was nominated by my team mates to be team captain my junior and senior year.  I was well known on my team for always being positive and encourging to others, and also recieved an award for being most coachable on the team.  My dream college is one where I can pole vault all year round.  I am interesting in biology, and also design.  I have been looking at colleges in the midwest, but would love to travel farther away.   My goal this year as a junior is to break our school record in the pole vault which is currently 11'9".  I  weight train every other day and am also heavily involved in cheer and stunting to keep up my endurance and strength.  In college I want to help motivate my fellow athletes and help the team to be more successful than it believes it can be.  I truly believe that I will be successful competing at the college level and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that  come my way.