VanDeGrift moves out of state

Posted Sep 5, 2009 by Bill Ward

Updated Sep 8, 2009 at 08:48 AM

Grace VanDeGrift of Durant, an all-county performer in both track and cross country, has returned to her family’s native Ohio and is now enrolled and competing for Lebanon High School for her junior year, her father, Ty VanDeGrift, confirmed Saturday.

Grace VanDeGrift was sixth at last season’s Class 4A state finals in the 1,600 meter run and, as a freshman in the 2008 finals, reached the medals podium in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Despite injuries, she has also been an individual state qualifier for the state cross country meet the past two seasons.

Ty VanDeGrift said a job opportunity prompted the return to Lebanon, where he was the quarterback of a Lebanon High team that reached the 1980 state championship game. The VanDeGrift family is something of an athletic legend there because Ty’s father, James VanDeGrift, was a longtime and successful football and track coach of the Lebanon Warriors and the football stadium is named after him.

There is a chance, Ty VanDeGrift said, that Grace could return to Durant. But for now, she has already run her first race for Lebanon and is “looking strong and healthy,” Ty said.