This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
03/16/2017 12:00 AMGrace Little got started in sports as a member of the cross country program at North Branford Intermediate School. Upon entering high school, Grace joined the Thunderbirds’ track program and put in the necessary effort to transition into a full-fledged sprinter. Grace trained tirelessly while going through the programs presented to her by outdoor track Head Coach Brent Ramsey, and she’s been on fast track toward success ever since.
“Training for sprints is different. Your body needs to be trained in a different way. For me, I found it easier to transition into a sprinter. After being a sprinter for the spring season, it was extremely hard for me to run a mile,” says Grace, who’s now a junior at North Branford. “Right now during the offseason, we’re lifting weights to build up our strength. Once the season starts, every day we’re out on the track and doing our agility workouts.”
Grace has continuously progressed as a sprinter throughout the past year. All of her effort came to fruition at this winter’s Shoreline Conference Championship, where Grace put together a dominating performance. Grace took first place in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.68 seconds, and she also finished third for the 300 by running a 44.96. Grace made the All-Shoreline Conference Team with her performance in the 55.
“It’s definitely extremely rewarding because I still have three more seasons of track,” says Grace. “This was my first year running in the 55 and 300, so it was cool I could achieve these things. I’m looking forward to getting back and staying at the top to hopefully run in college.”
Coach Ramsey has been a firsthand witness to Grace’s vast improvement since she started sprinting. Ramsey says that Grace always storms out of the gate, and he plans on working with her on how to keep up her rapid pace during the upcoming spring season.
“She’s always been good from the start, but has gotten caught at the end, so we’re working on her strength for the overall race. We’re working on her maintaining her speed through the whole race,” says Ramsey. “She’s spent a lot of time in the weight room improving her top-end speed. She’ll continue that for outdoor, so she can also be competitive in the 400.”
Grace’s strong starts led to some tremendous success in the 55 throughout the recent indoor season. Her quick start to every race pushed her through to many top finishes.
“I believe I have a strong start. For the 55, it’s important to get out as fast as you can and maintain that speed,” says Grace. “Getting up and out of the blocks is my strong set. I definitely never had an issue with being in sync with the gun, plus over time, you get used to getting set and going. We do explosive workouts like box jumps to mimic explosiveness to come off the blocks.”
Grace will primarily be running the 100, 200, and 400 for North Branford’s outdoor track squad in the spring. Grace and Coach Ramsey both feel that she’ll do well in the 200 and 400 based on her success in the 300 this winter. Grace plans to keep working as hard as she can in order to get the job done.
“I definitely feel I’ve grown as to being more dedicated to the team and doing the workouts. I’m able to visually see how it pays off,” Grace says. “I think it’s extremely rewarding, especially after a good race because, unlike other sports, it’s more of an individual thing. When you do well, the team congratulates you and it really is a good feeling.”
Grace appreciates how her supporting cast is her rock. Whether it’s her parents, teammates, or coaches, Grace knows that they’ll always push her to do her best and will give her the strength she needs to put forth great efforts at her meets.
“It’s definitely important for me to have my mom and dad there to support me. With track, it’s a super-long day, so I’m always having people there to boost my energy to run,” says Grace. “It’s important for me to have people there that care and enjoy watching me.”