By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been a hectic, but satisfying last few days for Seaman junior Gabby Grace.
Not only did Grace earn All-State second-team honors and four state medals in last Saturday's Class 5A-1A state swimming championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, but she is headed to Wichita for Thursday's 5A state track and field meet after qualifying in a pair of events at regionals.
The fact that postseason schedules in both track and swimming were altered due to COVID-19 protocols afforded Grace the opportunity to pull double duty.
"I would have had to skip the track regional meet if they overlapped, so I was really happy it worked out,'' Grace said.
Grace, a two-time All-City pick, has competed in cross country for Seaman three straight seasons and has sandwiched a pair of swimming seasons around the canceled 2020 campaign.
Seaman junior Gabby Grace (second from left) waits her turn to swim in last Saturday's 400-yard free relay in the Class 5A-1A state swimming championships. Grace helped the Vikings post a fifth-place finish, one of her four state medals on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But even though she already had plenty to do, Grace decided to add track to her plate this spring, with some urging from Seaman girls cross country and track coach Rick Brading.
"Mr. Brading has been trying to get me to go out for track for awhile and I really enjoyed cross country this year so I was like, 'I should give track a go.' '' Grace said.
Juggling both sports has been a challenge, but one she was willing to take on.
"I did a lot of morning swim practices so I could get some running in in the afternoon and I ran on the weekends when I didn't have swim practice,'' Grace said. "I tried to get to my sport the day before I had a meet, so like if I had a swim meet I'd go to swim practice the day before and if I had a track meet I'd go to track practice the day before.''
Although there are obvious differences between the two sports, Grace thinks swimming and track benefit each other.
"They do help each other a lot,'' she said. "Running takes a lot more out of your legs than swimming does, but the lungs and endurance all work together.''
The result has been a solid and enjoyable spring, with some pleasant surprises, particularly in track.
Grace punched her ticket to state when she garnered the final qualifying spot in the 800 meters with a fourth-place regional finish in 2:31.31 last Thursday at Mill Valley.
Grace then came back after a short break to help the Vikings qualify for state in the 4x400 relay with a fourth-place finish in 4:17.90.
"I was seeded sixth going into the 800 and I was like, 'OK, we're just going to go out and have fun,' and I was not expecting that at all,'' Grace said. "The 4x4 we were also seeded sixth going into it, so that was really fun, qualifying for something as a team.''
Seaman junior Gabby Grace earned four state medals and second-team All-State honors in last week's Class 5A-1A state swimming championships. [File photo/TSN]
Grace switched sports for Saturday's state swimming meet and earned medals in both her individual events while also helping the Vikings place in a pair of relays.
Individually, Grace placed seventh in the 100-yard freestyle (55.43 seconds) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:00.53).
"I was real happy with my individual races,'' Grace said. "I think I life-time PRed in both of them, so it was good. I was really happy with (Saturday).''
Grace also helped the Vikings finish eighth in the 200 medley relay (1:56.81) and fifth in the meet-ending 400 free relay (3:53.49), with Seaman's finish in the 400 relay vaulting the Vikes to a fifth-place team finish.
"It shows how much we've grown as a team and next year I know we're getting a few girls who club swim, too, so we're hoping to place even higher next year,'' Grace said.
And Grace is already looking foward to what next year could bring in all of her sports.
"This year's been really fun,'' she said.
