Bringing people together is one of Eastlake Wolves senior Cross Country runner Grace Johnson’s best strengths.
Johnson, who has been on the Wolves varsity squad since her freshman year in 2011, puts an emphasis on making sure team camaraderie is where it needs to be.
“Cross Country is where I made a lot of my friends during high school. It’s really great being a leader of this team because I can bring so many people together and set them up with great friendships,” Johnson said.
Eastlake Cross Country head coach Troy Anderson said Johnson, who is also a team captain, does an incredible job of incorporating each member of the Wolves’ program into the fabric of the team.
“Grace is great at reaching out to the new girls and new guys on the team and just welcoming them into our Cross Country family, which is pretty awesome. She is a really positive person and is pretty fast, too,” Anderson said. “Grace is the whole package from a leadership, personality and talent standpoint.”
The Wolves finished ninth in the Class 4A state Cross Country Championships in 2013.
“As a team we didn’t do as well as we hoped, but we won the KingCo (league championship), which was pretty awesome,” Johnson said.
Johnson spent the summer tackling the hilly train of the Sammamish plateau in preparation for her final season of Cross Country this fall.
“I ran six days a week and averaged between six to 10 miles per day,” she said.
Johnson said the Wolves have friendly, but intense rivalries with Skyline and Redmond. The meet she looks to the most during the season is the KingCo league meet.
“Two weeks before KingCo we have what is called a “week of pain” where we just have a super intense week of running. That is a pretty big tradition and helps us peak really well at the end of the season when we need to be at our best,” she said.
Recently the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter had a chance to ask Johnson a few questions about her life away from Cross Country.
IR: Who is your pick to win the Super Bowl in February of 2015?
GJ: The Seattle Seahawks.
IR: What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
GJ: The last one I saw is “Guardians of the Galaxy.” It was good.
IR: Where do you see yourself in five years?
GJ: I want to be a college graduate of the University of California-Berkeley.
IR: Who is your favorite actor of all time?
GJ: Robert Downey Jr. He is super cute.
Shaun Scott:
425-453-5045; sscott@bellevuereporter.com
