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Azariah Grantham, freshman, track
Grantham won the 55-meter event at the Union County Individual Championships in January with a personal best of 7.20 seconds. She later finished sixth at the NJSIAA Group 4 Championships and seventh at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. She also had top-10 finishes in the 200 meters at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions and the 400 at the Union County Individual Championships. She also helped Union to top-3 finishes in the 4×200 relay at the Wayne Gardner Invitational as well as in the 4×400 relay at the Union County Relay Championships and Union County Individual Championships. “She is a gifted, gifted talent as a freshman,” said Union track coach Tony Stewart.
How would you evaluate/rate your freshman season in indoor track, especially with your county title in the 55 meters?
I would rate my season a 8 because throughout the whole experience, being it
was my first high school season, I knew my hard work showed in my performances. Attending Nationals was really exciting because i had opportunity to compete
with other girls throughout the country.
Have you set any goals (time for particular events, winning particular events, improving performance at longer distances, etc.) for next season?
Yes, I have set goals for my sophomore season. A goal i’ve set for myself is to
break 7.20 seconds in the 55 meter dash and to qualify for the final round at the 2019 Nationals for the 55 meter dash. I would like to improve in my 400 meter dash and break 60 seconds for my indoor personal record. Also, I would love to win the 200 meter dash at the 2019 meet of champions next year.
Considering you had success at both, do you enjoy the individual races or relays more? Any reason for that?
I enjoy relay races more than my individual races because it gives me the opportunity to bond and work together with my teammates to win races. Winning state group 4 sectionals was a major accomplishment for my 4×400 relay team and we hope to do it again for our outdoor season.
How much are you looking toward the outdoor season?
Which events do you plan to run?
I am really excited for the outdoor season because it’s the season i started with at the beginning of my track career. I am also looking forward to run the 100, 100 hurdles, 200, 4×100, 4×400 meter dashes during my outdoor season.
What are some lessons you’ve learned from training and competing in track and field that you’ve been able to apply to personal life or schooling?
The most motivational lesson i’ve learned so far is to never give up at anything I put my mind to because anything is possible. Also, i should focus on myself and my main goal because hard work pays off. I strongly live by these two statements because as a high school student I have to balance my grades and work my personal life around what I do best.
What is your favorite subject in school and why?
My favorite subject in school is english because I like to think outside the box and show people a different perspective, in my writing.
What do you do for fun outside of track and field?
I as usually hanging out with my friends and traveling different places to try new foods.
Do you plan to get involved in any other sports throughout high school, or will you stick to track and field?
I already play field hockey in the fall season to stay in shape for the indoor and outdoor track season.
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