BVA’s Henderson to compete at Akron

By Jose Negron

jnegron@yourmvi.com

For as long as she can remember, Grace Henderson has enjoyed running. 

The Belle Vernon Area senior has participated in track and field since she was in third grade when she began competing in the sport through a local summer program. 

“The thing that drew me into running is probably the feeling of crossing the finish line knowing all the months of hard work that I put in to achieve my goals has paid off,” Henderson said. “There’s just no better feeling than that.”

While Henderson still has her senior season at Belle Vernon Area to look forward to, she has the luxury of knowing that when her time as a Leopard comes to an end, her track and field career won’t. 

On Nov. 11, Henderson announced that she will continue to compete at the University of Akron. She signed her national letter of intent days later. 

“After running track for a majority of my life, getting the opportunity to compete at the collegiate Level is a dream come true,” said Henderson, the daughter of Scott and Denise Henderson of Rostraver Township. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was little.” 

During her recruitment process, Henderson said she spoke with a number of different schools. She narrowed her list down to three: Akron, Highpoint University and Robert Morris University. 

“Overall, what made Akron stand out was their coaching staff, their campus and that they have a good record of winning their conference championships,” said Henderson, who will compete for a coaching staff led by head coach Dennis Mitchell. “Akron has a winning tradition for their track team. Their coaches are very knowledgeable and experienced, and they respect and care about their athletes.” 

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