Grace Loh Set to Go
NEIRAD enilno edition
While most of us were lounging poolside this summer, junior Grace Loh was lacing up her flats and running long miles through the streets. As you were probably worrying about your tan, she was focusing on her fitness and speed. Distance running is more than just a sport for this three season trackie whose enthusiasm for running is unmatched across the FCIAC.
“I’m really excited,” said Graceabout starting Cross Country this fall. Grace, who is one of the high school’s fastest runners, has completed a total of five seasons of track and field throughout her high school career. For Grace, Cross Country season means racking up between 25 and 36 miles a week with the rest of Darien’s premier distance crew. However, this effort pays off. At State Opens last spring, Grace’s personal record in the mile was 5:15. She was slated 16th best runner in Connecticut- as a sophomore.
Grace said that “What I like about cross country is that there’s a smaller group of us and we’re all doing the same event and the same course.” Each race poses a unique challenge, because no two courses are the same. “Grace really pushes herself and gets excited for her races,” said teammate and senior Katie Donovan. It is this enthusiasm and skill that has helped Grace evolve from a reluctant freshman to the superstar she is today. “When I started out my parents forced me to do cross country,” she said. But “the more miles I put in, the harder workouts, and obviously getting taller” transformed Grace into one of DHS’s fastest girl runners.
Grace worked hard all break for this upcoming fall season. That’s not to say she didn’t have typical summer fun, but throughout the hottest months of the year she continued to work out. Grace attended track camp at Villanova. “A lot of us on the cross country team trained together over the summer,” she said. Members of the team also went to Norrie’s infamous running camp in Vermont. Up in the mountains Grace said the team “put up big mileage” on tough terrain. All of this preparation will make Darien a serious competitor in 2011’s FCIAC league.
“I think we’ll do really well at FCIAC’s. We lost some really good seniors, but girls are transferring in from other sports. We have a good team this year,” said Grace. The team is led by senior captains Meredith Ott, Sherry Gilronan, Livy Ashburne, and Emma Davis. “I really think our captains this year are going to be great leaders. They’re really dedicated to the sport and have lots of experience,” said Grace.
For most athletes, back to school means back to sports, but junior Grace Loh never stopped. With six more seasons of running to go in her high school career, Grace can only continue to impress with her dedication and speed.
