While Halstead’s Grace Lee experienced a decent amount of success last season, she has really taken her ability as a track athlete to a new level this season.

In 2022, she had one top-five finish, while in 2023, she has four, including a personal record in the 400 meter.

“This season has been so much fun and really exciting,” said Lee, who will be running track and cross country at Friends University next year. “I’ve set some new personal records and I feel like I have really grown as a runner. I think there’s always something to improve on, but I am very pleased with how this year has gone.”

The Dragons’ 4×8 relay team has been the one event Lee has focused on more than others this season.

“Our last meet we pr-ed as a team by 12 seconds and I set a new personal record with a 2.41 split at our league meet,” Lee said. “By the end of the season, I’m hoping to be in the 2:30s.”

Being mentally stronger and powering through fatigue has been vital for Lee’s improvements in all events.

“This year I’ve definitely improved most on the last lap of my race,” Lee said. “In previous years, I didn’t have the stamina or mentality I needed to finish strong but this year we’ve focused a lot on finishing our race and the mindset we need to have, which has really helped me.”