Grace Stark Explained

Grace Stark (born May 6, 2001) is an American hurdler.^[1]

Early life

From White Lake, Michigan, she attended Lakeland High School. As a junior in 2018, she won MHSAA Division 1 state championship titles over 100 metres and 100 metres hurdles. In the hurdles she ran the fastest time ever recorded by a Michigan high school athlete.^{[2] [3]} She attended the University of Florida.^[4]

Career

Stark won the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles title in 2022, having run a personal best 7.83 seconds in the heats and lowering it to 7.78 in the final.^[5] This time equalled the collegiate record set by Brianna Rollins in 2013.^[6] She missed competition time due to a broken leg sustained at the SEC Outdoor Championships in 2022.^[7]

Stark went undefeated competing outdoors in the college season in 2024,^[8] culminating with the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor 100m hurdles title in June 2024.^[9] That month, she qualified for the final of the US Olympic Trials.^[10] In the final, she finished third in a personal best time of 12.31 seconds to earn a place on the US team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.^[11]

Competition results

International competitions

2024

Summer Olympics[12]

Paris, France

5th

100 m hurdles

12.43

Notes and References

1. Web site: Grace Stark . June 29, 2024 . World Athletics .
2. Web site: Lakeland's Grace Stark on winning 100 hurdles, 100 dash . June 3, 2018 . Detroit News . June 29, 2024.
3. Web site: Grace Stark is state's best 100m hurdler ever, a 'once in a lifetime' talent . mlive . June 29, 2024 . April 26, 2019.
4. Web site: 10 way-too-early women's Bowerman frontrunners for the 2024 track and field season . ncaa.com . June 29, 2024 . January 23, 2024.
5. Web site: Ross attacks world record, Steiner and Stark secure NCAA indoor success. World Athletics . June 29, 2024 .
6. Web site: Watch: Florida's Grace Stark ties NCAA women's 60 meter hurdle record . Stan . Becton . NCAA.COM . March 12, 2022 . June 29, 2024.
7. Web site: It's Grace Stark Season. The Florida Gator Re-Sets NCAA Lead At SECs . Flotrack . June 29, 2024 . May 12, 2024 . Cory . Mull.
8. Web site: 2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS — TRACK & FIELD EVENT-BY-EVENT PREVIEW . usatf . June 29, 2024 . June 21, 2024.
9. Web site: Valby, Stark-led Florida 2nd At NCAA Women Outdoor Track & Field Championships. wruf . June 29, 2024 . June 9, 2024 .
10. Web site: U.S. Olympic Track And Field Trials Results Day 7 . Flotrack . June 29, 2024 . June 29, 2024.
11. Web site: Lakeland grad Grace Stark earns Olympic berth with third-place finish in 100 hurdles . June 30, 2024 . July 1, 2024 . Matthew . Mowery.
12. Web site: Women's 100m Hurdles - Final results. Olympics. 10 August 2024. 10 August 2024.