Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative
DES MOINES - Being the first in things is nothing new to 2019 North Cedar graduate Grace Proesch. Proesch has her name on many records at North Cedar in her time as a member of the Knights track and field teams. Proesch is now a freshman attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Air Force Academy competes in the Mountain West Conference and is Division 1. Now, Proesch has collected another first. Proesch was on the Falcons winning 4X400-meter relay team this past weekend at the 2019 Drake Relays. The victory was the first women’s first-place finish in a relay event at Drake. Ever.
Each year, the Drake Relays invite the Air Force Academy to run and this year her coaches decided to put her in the 4X400-meter relay. As the Anchor leg.
“Being back at Drake was really emotional for me. I remember being a 14-year-old girl winning her first state medal on the track only dreaming of being a division one collegiate athlete,” said Proesch.
“Hearing Mike Jay say over the loudspeaker “and set to anchor for Air Force is former north cedar standout Grace Proesch” was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced,” she said.
The women impacted the Academy record book on the Blue Oval claiming first-place honors in the unseeded section of the 4x400-meter relay. Competing together for the first time this season, the quartet of senior Aryn Maxwell, junior Megan Irvine, classmate Kelsey Owens and freshman Grace Proesch combined for a time 3:51.05 to debut in 10th on the program's all-time standings and earn the women's first first-place finish in a relay event at Drake. Most of her teammates had been to the Drake Relays.
Proesch began basic training last summer and finished last August. Then training for track started. Proesch battled some injuries and adjustments during this past indoor season. She would win her first race, the 400-meter dash in a time of 59.59 a week before the indoor Mountain West Conference meet. She has ran other races than the 400. Proesch ran the 60-meter dash in the indoor season and it led to some frustration.
“It was extremely difficult for me at first and I was very frustrated with it because I wasn’t very good. My coach told me I needed to improve my block work and stride length and this was the best way to do it. In the end, it ended up being something that helped me a lot with speed,” she said. Proesch has mostly been running 400, 200 and a few 4x4s.
The trip back to Drake was also a chance to see her sister run at the Relays. Sister Kelly is a sophomore at North Cedar and ran in the 100-meter hurdles on Friday morning.
“It was also very cool to see my sister out there chasing her dreams in the Knight Jersey like I once did,” said Proesch.
“My whole family was there along with my high school coach and some teammates from high school and I really just wanted to go out there and leave it all on the track like I had done so many times in the past, and I believe I did that,” she said.
The younger Proesch was the first of five sophomores to finish in the high school girls' race and finished 16th with a time of 15.52.
The Falcons close out the regular season Friday, May 3, when they host the annual Air Force Twilight Open at the Cadet Outdoor Track and Field Complex. Then it will be off to the Mountain West track and field championships in Fresno, California.
Proesch is majoring in civil engineering. She Proesch is the daughter of Joby and Kyle Proesch.
DES MOINES - Being the first in things is nothing new to 2019 North Cedar graduate Grace Proesch. Proesch has her name on many records at North Cedar in her time as a member of the Knights track and field teams. Proesch is now a freshman attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Air Force Academy competes in the Mountain West Conference and is Division 1. Now, Proesch has collected another first. Proesch was on the Falcons winning 4X400-meter relay team this past weekend at the 2019 Drake Relays. The victory was the first women’s first-place finish in a relay event at Drake. Ever.
Each year, the Drake Relays invite the Air Force Academy to run and this year her coaches decided to put her in the 4X400-meter relay. As the Anchor leg.
“Being back at Drake was really emotional for me. I remember being a 14-year-old girl winning her first state medal on the track only dreaming of being a division one collegiate athlete,” said Proesch.
“Hearing Mike Jay say over the loudspeaker “and set to anchor for Air Force is former north cedar standout Grace Proesch” was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced,” she said.
The women impacted the Academy record book on the Blue Oval claiming first-place honors in the unseeded section of the 4x400-meter relay. Competing together for the first time this season, the quartet of senior Aryn Maxwell, junior Megan Irvine, classmate Kelsey Owens and freshman Grace Proesch combined for a time 3:51.05 to debut in 10th on the program's all-time standings and earn the women's first first-place finish in a relay event at Drake. Most of her teammates had been to the Drake Relays.
Proesch began basic training last summer and finished last August. Then training for track started. Proesch battled some injuries and adjustments during this past indoor season. She would win her first race, the 400-meter dash in a time of 59.59 a week before the indoor Mountain West Conference meet. She has ran other races than the 400. Proesch ran the 60-meter dash in the indoor season and it led to some frustration.
“It was extremely difficult for me at first and I was very frustrated with it because I wasn’t very good. My coach told me I needed to improve my block work and stride length and this was the best way to do it. In the end, it ended up being something that helped me a lot with speed,” she said. Proesch has mostly been running 400, 200 and a few 4x4s.
The trip back to Drake was also a chance to see her sister run at the Relays. Sister Kelly is a sophomore at North Cedar and ran in the 100-meter hurdles on Friday morning.
“It was also very cool to see my sister out there chasing her dreams in the Knight Jersey like I once did,” said Proesch.
“My whole family was there along with my high school coach and some teammates from high school and I really just wanted to go out there and leave it all on the track like I had done so many times in the past, and I believe I did that,” she said.
The younger Proesch was the first of five sophomores to finish in the high school girls' race and finished 16th with a time of 15.52.
The Falcons close out the regular season Friday, May 3, when they host the annual Air Force Twilight Open at the Cadet Outdoor Track and Field Complex. Then it will be off to the Mountain West track and field championships in Fresno, California.
Proesch is majoring in civil engineering. She Proesch is the daughter of Joby and Kyle Proesch.
