The USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships brought a close to Grace Stark's long and very successful 2018 outdoor season. The rising senior from White Lake Lakeland secured a pair of impressive results while competing against many of the country's top athletes at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.
Stark, who was representing the Elite Performance Track Club based out of Pontiac, placed second in the 100m hurdles and fifth in the 100m due to her times of 13.61 and 11.93, respectively. She had quality performances during the earlier rounds in both events, highlighted by her 11.85 clocking in the 100m prelims and her 13.51 effort in the 100m hurdles semis. All of Stark's competitions took place in the highly competitive 17-18 age-division. The multiple time state champion and New Balanace Nationals Outdoor 100m hurdles winner can now re-group and begin getting prepared for a senior campaign where she'll be recognized as one of the nation's top returning athletes.
MileSplit reached Grace to gather her perspective on how she performed in Greensboro:
I was definitely hoping to win my events and get closer to my pr's, but overall I'm extremely pleased with how I did during the outdoor season.