Grace Weigand: The Student Rarity that is Reshaping RJ Athletics

By: Sam Stern ’20

“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.”

Grace Weigand, a sophomore, is considered a rarity in the Regis Jesuit sports community as a three sport varsity athlete playing field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. She came in with a fiery competitiveness that could not be extinguished by anyone in her path.

She started to find her love for basketball and lacrosse at the age of six. When she started high school, she decided to try field hockey in order to organically make friends. Fast forward to today and she plays all three sports at the varsity level. Talk about a Sports Illustrated caliber story in itself.

She’s in season all year long, with field hockey in the fall, basketball in winter, and lacrosse in the spring. During the summer, she plays lacrosse for the club team Summit, one of the most well- known lacrosse clubs in the state, and often participates in camps for all of her sports. Weigand describes her training be saying, “I’m always working out, lifting two to three times a week, running, and getting cardio in when I can.”

For an athlete of Weigand’s caliber, she always is in the lab working on her skills in all three sports. With someone working on her skills as much as she does, where do academics and school life come into play? Stress is a common reality for students in high school, let alone someone as busy as Weigand is on a regular basis.

Weigand voices that “when I get home from practice, I get right down to business. I try to use my time wisely, have good time management, and talk to teachers when needed.”

At such a prestigious athletic school that has produced athletes like Missy Franklin, Josh Perkins, David Peterson, and Caleb Sloan, none of these athletic phenoms were three sport athletes. Wiegand has truly set a brand new standard in both the girls and boy divisions when it comes to athletic greatness. While talking to senior basketball star and sensation Francesca Belibi, there was a sense of amazement being shown through the accomplishments of Grace.

“Not often do you see a lot of double sport athletes at Regis, and she is now in her own category playing three sports at a varsity level. She has a high role on each one of her teams, and is a great person at the same time,” Belibi said.

Elite is a word that is not used lightly around the Regis Jesuit community. Athletes at our school are expected at all times to be the best athletes they can be. Imagine the level of determination, heart, love, and strength that would be necessary to play this many sports. Weigand represents all four of these attributes at all times. She does these four things while also being a person who takes their own academic and personal success very seriously. That alone makes her a mega star.

She proves to be an inspiration to so many people in the RJHS community, such as sophomore All-American shooting guard, Avery Vansickle.

“She is definitely an inspiration to me. The way she carries herself and treats others is amazing. She is always smiling and making others happy,” Van- sickle said.

The 2018-2019 season has already begun, and Grace has already been an integral part of the state championship field hockey team this year. She will also be taking part in basketball during the winter and lacrosse in the spring, hoping to add a couple titles to her already stacked resume. Sports has proved to be a way for Grace Weigand to truly have a fun time and put her apart from her other classmates, teammates, and friends.

Dedicated. Driven. Focused. Passionate. Committed. Competitive. Grace Weigand is a real example of a potent powerhouse.