Before the class of 2019 makes their final farewells to high school cross country and track and field, we want to give everyone a chance to salute them one more time! FLRunners invites all seniors to tell their stories from the past four years.
Today we salute South Dade senior, Ulyesse Grace.
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
My most memorable race was UM Invitational i came into the meet a little discouraged and the when i ran across the line and saw 14.15 on the screen it boosted my confidence up and I knew it was a US#1 time.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
Throughout my 4 years of running my biggest competition would be Osaji Skyers from Miramar we would go at it all the time and we would always push each other.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment was making all dade my senior year and placing 3rd at the state meet and missing first by .05. And also being one of the consistent hurdlers in Florida.
Who would you consider your biggest role model over your four years competing?
My biggest role model was my father and my coaches they encouraged me a lot and they knew I had it in me. And also my family they were there by my side pushing me as well as my teammates.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running or field career in high school?
I wouldn't change anything because about my high school running career because god does everything for a reason and this season was amazing.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome? How did you overcome them?
My biggest obstacle was my junior year running and I had a incident at practice where I had to sit in the hospital for a week and get stitches and I overcame that by praying about it and asking God to heal me. And that next week I was back and doing better.
What will you miss the most?
I will most definitely miss my teammates and my competitors a lot. I'll also miss how fun the meets were & also traveling.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
I would tell younger athletes to run to the best of their abilities from start to finish so you won't have to worry about anything coming your senior year. And I phrase for them "It doesn't matter what's on paper it matters on what you do at the meet"
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coach, Anika was my coach from 7th grade all the way up to my senior year, so me and her had a bond for a very long time and we had a meet in Miramar and that was my first meet i ran sub 14 and she looked at me and just hugged me and from the day forward we've just been working hard. And for that i have much respect for her.
What are your post-high school or college plans?
I will be attending Troy University ️ on a Track & Field Scholarship.
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I would like to say thank you to God for allowing to run and give me the ability to run. Thanks to my coaches for being there and also my parents for believing in me. And thank you to the officials for making the meets so organized.
More Coverage:
- Ulyesse Grace Athlete Profile
- South Dade Team Page
- Troy University Team Page
- Class of 2019 College Commitments
