Reflecting on four years of excellence
Grace Young, Lacrosse Player and Weightlifter, reflects on her time as a Student Athlete By Emma Diehl Over the course of her high school career, Grace Young, a senior at J.W. Mitchell High School, competed on two varsity sports teams, and led her Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) unit to national competitions twice. Through her leadership and experience, Young gained entry into the United States Military Academy, otherwise known as West Point Military Academy, where only about 1,250 students are accepted per year. Young began playing lacrosse in elementary school as part of a recreational league, in an effort to try something new. “The [recreational] lacrosse program started in our area when I was in the fifth grade and I was lucky enough to be a part of it. I grew up playing basketball and loved to try new sports, so when the opportunity presented itself, I quickly joined,” Young said. Young learned to love lacrosse, and bettered her skills with the support of her coaches and her family members. “My parents have supported me in anything I set my mind to; they always give me the best opportunity to improve and play lacrosse. I’m really lucky to have such amazing, sup-
16 MAY 2021
Grace Young (‘21) sprints up the lacrosse field with the ball in her stick, running to avoid her opponents, and leading her team to victory. Photo provided by Nikki Sartori. portive parents. Over the years, my coaches have helped me to improve my skills, they encourage me to work on my weaknesses so I can improve as an athlete,” Young said. For the past four years, Young was a member of the lacrosse and weightlifting teams. Coach Linsey Hoskins (FAC) describes Young as a hard-working student, and she is proud of her student’s accomplishments. “Grace is a two year captain, leads the team in caused turnovers, and been the leader of the defense for the last 3 years. She excels not only on the field, but also in the gym during the weightlifting season. Grace is a 4.0 student, an officer in NJROTC, and
takes several AP courses while maintaining two varsity sports and competing in weightlifting outside of school as well,” Hoskins said. For the past two years, Young’s NJROTC unit has participated in national competitions, last year placing second, and this year placing 13th. Balancing academics, NJROTC, and sports wasn’t always easy. “Sometimes it was difficult to balance, since I am actively involved in sports, NJROTC, and academics. There were many early mornings for NJROTC combined with strenuous practices and late nights for schoolwork. I got better at balancing everything with improving my time management skills,” Young said.
With her acceptance into West Point, Young is one of the 12 percent of applicants to get into the prestigious military academy. “I am excited to be able to grow as a person and set a good foundation for my future goals while being around people with similar work ethic and goals. I want to continue to improve my leadership and athletic abilities, with an end goal of graduating and getting accepted into a medical school,” Young said. Overall, Young’s time in high school was filled with academic, athletic, and leadership achievements. She will be attending West Point in the fall, and hopes to go to medical school after attending.
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