On a cold winter’s day in Everett, Grant Grosvenor had to lie to his mother.
In the midst of a bet with Jackson track and field/cross country coach Eric Hruschka, Grosvenor — then a sophomore preparing for his first-ever season running for the track team — was sick and had stayed home from
school. But Grosvenor (pronounced with a silent ‘S’) was too competitive to let something like a little cold keep him from losing this wager.
“I remember I had a New Year’s get together and (Hruschka) said, ‘we will run 20 minutes at least every day,’ which doesn’t seem like a lot, and whoeve
r has missed more days has to run home from the Jamboree,” Grosvenor said.
It was the same bet that the long-time coach of the Timberwolves made with another promising young runner that he wanted to challenge several years ago. Each person had to run every day and then call the other with his report. The first time Hruschka lost the bet by one day. That year the first meet was at South Whidbey H. S., which meant he had to run to the Whidbey Island ferry where he got to rest on the boat and then run from the ferry dock to Mill Creek. Grosvenor wanted history to repeat itself.
He had two seasons of cross-country under his belt, but played soccer in the spring during his freshman year. At this point he was just beginning to feel out his sporting path.
“He decided he wanted to be a runner and that means you have to run every day,” Hruschka said. “He really bought into that (idea).
“(The bet) gave me a chance to get to know him at that point and figure out how to help him be successful in the sport.”
In order to keep the streak going on that cold day two years ago, Grosvenor told his mom that he was going to walk his dog Teddy. Once he got out of the house, he picked up the eight-pound Yorkie and Shi-Tzu mixed pup and broke into a run.
“I don’t know how many people actually know that,” Grosvenor admitted with a smile.
Grosvenor then got home and called his coach, using his middle name as had been part of the pair’s inside joke. “This is Winston. I just got my 20 minutes in.” would be all he would leave on the coach’s voicemail.
The bet ended up as a tie since neither missed a day, but that winter proved to be a turning point for Grosvenor.
“That’s what got me going,” he said. “I got motivated.”
Now the Jackson senior is headed to Montana State on a partial track scholarship and one of the top runners in the state. Through the meets of May 6, he has the third-best time in the state in the 400-meter run (49.33 seconds), the fourth-best time in the state in the 800 (1:54.80) and the second-best time in the 1,600 (4:16.81). His 1,600 time is only .61 seconds behind the state leader.
Grosvenor has the unique ability to compete at a high level from the 400, which is basically a sprint, all the way up to the 3,200.
“It’s rare,” Hruschka said. “He’s obviously got a special gift.”
That is part of what was so appealing for Montana State coach Dale Kennedy, who already boasts the NCAA’s fastest miler in Patrick Casey, whose altitude adjusted, sub-4 minute mile time in February was the fastest mile on record in the world at that point in the year.
“It’s appealing to go there and have someone I’ll be chasing,” Grosvenor said. “It was a huge compliment (to be recruited) because they saw me as their Patrick Casey, but in a few years. I hope to be able to do the things he’s done and maybe even beyond that.”
Grosvenor has no qualms about moving away from home for college.
“The biggest difference is the weather,” he said. “There you get 300-some days of sun. I’m not sure what Seattle has, but definitely not that.”
His development has been spurred on by not only Hruschka, but also his two teammates, who are nearly as accomplished.
Sean Roe and Blake Nelson have run four years of cross-country with Grosvenor and the the trio has helped to push each other to new heights.
Nelson has the state’s fourth-fastest 3,200 time (9:19.37). He is three spots behind Grosvenor in the 1,600 (4:17.52) and one ahead in the 800 (1:54.42).
“I could coach 10 more years and not have one guy like those guys right now,” Hruschka said. “So, it’s just a unique opportunity for them to be on the same team pushing each other on a daily basis. It only makes them better.”
Grosvenor and Hruschka haven’t decided where they will focus for the upcoming district and state meets. A year ago, after winning the district 800 and 1,600 races, Grosvenor finished fourth in the 800 at the 4A state finals. A lack of speed didn’t keep him from the top of the medal stand. Instead he felt he made a few tactical mistakes that kept him from first.
If his competitive spirit is any indication, nothing will keep Grosvenor from taking home at least one if not more state event crowns this time around.
“Each time that I race, I hate to know that I had something left in me,” Grosvenor said. “I hate living life with regrets. I have a life motto that I follow. It’s, ‘You only live once,’ and I try to remember that every time I go out and race.”
There’s no doubt Grosvenor had a fire inside and more than anyone he thanks his coach for helping to ignite it with a simple wager, but he also thanks his dog Teddy for running part of the way.
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