Full of Grace

Because she had run a couple of 5 K's and also because her dad is a runner, it seemed a given Elkins sophomore distance runner Grace Heymsfield would compete in cross country as a seventh grader. But it wasn't. Not until Elkins coach Beverly Mabry persuaded and encouraged Heymsfield did she give running a try. One time was all it took for her to fall in love. "It took a little coaxing," Heymsfield said. "Nobody likes to run, and I had heard the rumors and the horror stories and exaggeration of practice." Mabry actually first met Heymsfield as a basketball player. Seeing an exceptional work ethic in her, Mabry invited her to run with the cross country team after school. Heymsfield took Mabry up on her invitation and loved the distance races. "She was begging to do the races and stepped in and did well as a seventh grader," Mabry said. "She outran anything I had in junior high. She won the conference in the 800 (meters) and 1,600 as a seventh grader." Those two titles were just the first of many to come. Since entering high school, Heymsfield has two Class 3A cross country titles and six Class 3A state track titles — the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 indoor titles and the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 outdoor titles. At press time, she was getting ready to compete in the state indoor meet and looking to defend her three titles with the outdoor season to follow. Additionally as a freshman, Heymsfield won the 1,600 and 3,200 events at the Meet of Champions, which features the top competitors from every classification. "She is just an exceptional kid," Mabry said. "She's got talent, but she is also a hard worker. If I had everyone run a mile and a half, she would run two." For Heymsfield, winning the titles as she said was just an awesome experience and like nothing else. But she also knows she now has a target on her back. Her competition will now be trying to beat her. "I know I have to train and work really hard," Heymsfield said. "Occasionally, it gets harder, but after I get the results and look back, I see it wasn't so hard." Because of her successful freshman year, Heymsfield knows the pressure exists. She admits the pressure is kind of nerve-wracking, but it also helps her to train hard. Winning is another added incentive but it doesn't keep her from getting nervous going into a race. "I get butterflies every time," she said. "The Meet of Champs was so crazy, and I was so nervous. Knowing that I've won gives me a lot of confidence." Running is not the only individual sport in which Heymsfield has participated. Up until last year, she also swam but quit that sport to concentrate on track. She said she still does swim occasionally, but with so many similarities between the two, she doesn't miss it. Right now, Heymsfield is not sure if she'll continue running in college. She'll have to wait to see what happens her junior year. Whatever happens, she said she'll probably continue on some level because it keeps her healthy. That seems like a given.-