Expectations can often place heavy burdens on young athletes.
When Grace Dwyer burst on the cross country scene in 2012 as a freshman at Nottingham High School, she immediately won the Mercer County and Central Jersey Group III championship races, and the bar was set. Dwyer immediately put herself in a position where she had to keep succeeding.
Three years later, no one is disappointed.
That’s because the junior never looks at a competition with expectations; she just takes each race as another opportunity to do something she loves to do—run. For Dwyer, a Tuesday practice running through the Nottingham parking lot is no different than running on the grand stage of the Meet of Champions, in which she ran Nov. 22 and placed eighth.
“You can never take anything for granted,” she said. “Part of being successful comes just with my passion for running. Every day, whether it is a training day or race day, I go in with the mentality of being concentrated, yet I want to be relaxed and have fun. I do not worry about expectations people place upon me. I just go out there on the cross country course and do my thing.”
Her thing has included being just the third girl in county history to win three MCT titles. Dwyer is poised to become the only one to ever win four, which she said is a goal.
She became the 15th runner—boy or girl—in state history to win three straight sectional titles when she claimed the Central Jersey Group III meet on Nov. 8. She also reached the Meet of Champions for the third straight year, having finished third, third and sixth in the NJSIAA Group III meets.
No pressure, though. Dwyer’s medals are pretty much a byproduct of her having a blast.
“She’s dedicated to running, she’s passionate about the sport, she wants to do big things and she has done big things so far,” Nottingham coach Melissa Foley said. “She still has a lot of room to improve. She’s already at the top of her game but she has so much room to improve. This is just the beginning.”
Indeed it is. Dwyer has been contacted by several colleges so far, but she is not jumping to make any quick choices.
“Ultimately, God is in control of this decision,” she said. “I just want to keep my options open.”
When Dwyer arrived at Nottingham in the fall of 2012, Foley had just taken over the program. She had heard about Dwyer’s accomplishments and was struck by her slight build when they first met. That changed, as did many other things.
“She was so tiny and now she has so much muscle and is strong and runs very composed,” Foley said. “That comes from taking wins like county titles and things like that. She got a lot stronger physically and definitely mentally.”
Dwyer began her high school career with no expectations, other than to try and run hard and do her best. She said she didn’t have much experience, and she didn’t know what to expect.
“As it progressed, and I finished high in the results, I knew from there that I could be one of the best in the state,” she said. “Nevertheless, I have to continue to work hard for the rest of my high school years. As the years have gone by and now that I am a junior, I have learned many new things, like how to race smart and how to run in big meets.”
Actually, Dwyer had more experience than most entering high school as she ran in various youth meets in middle school. Foley said that when she entered high school, there was no cockiness, but a determination to be successful.
“I think she liked to win, that was always there,” the coach said. “It always brings me back to the first time she ever ran at Veterans Park (in a season-opening tri meet), and ran 18:30 and set our school record. She likes to win and she likes to show people she can win.”
With every race, said Foley, Dwyer gains a little more confidence.
“She ran some competitive races for middle school students, but she wasn’t on a cross country team prior to coming in,” she said. “As you go to more competitive meets and she goes against these top competitors and challengers to her ability, she does well and she gains more confidence for sure.”
In Dwyer’s first two Meet of Champions appearances, she was eighth as a freshman in 18:27 and finished seventh last year (18:30).
And while those are impressive marks, Dwyer’s biggest accomplishment to date came last December when she finished in 62nd place (out of 198 runners) at the Nike National Championships in Portland, Oregon. Dwyer ran an 18:37 through the muddy trails of the Great Northwest.
“Making it to Nike Cross Nationals was definitely my proudest cross country accomplishment,” Dwyer said. “It was an incredible experience, and I really want to make it back out there.”
Not only was it a great experience from an enjoyment standpoint, but it also helped make Dwyer an even better runner by getting a handle on what the country’s top runners are working towards.
“It’s just crazy, she brings so much to our team back from that,” Foley said. “When you’re dealing with athletes in your own world around here, you’re unaware what the competition is like all over. A lot of athletes are like, ‘I’m the best on my team,’ and they’re unaware of the level it can go up to outside of our school, outside of our state. That’s the coolest thing for me, to see her experience these things and how it has a positive change on her and attitude and makes her want to work that much harder.”
And Dwyer is the kind of person a school, a town, and even a state want to have representing them. She is one of the friendliest people around, she is always supporting other runners and is recognized as a class act throughout the state. Presenting that type of image is something she takes seriously.
“I really am proud to represent Nottingham and all the students, teachers and administrators in whatever race I run in,” Dwyer said. “Not only do I represent Nottingham, but I represent God, my family and the entire town of Hamilton.”
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