A throwing concern
Eight-time OFSAA gold medallist attending Kent State on track and field scholarship
Grace Tennant is catapulting her way to the top.
The 17-year old track and field standout from Smithville recently accepted a five-year full athletic scholarship from Kent State University, southeast of Cleveland in Ohio.
“It’s so exciting, I’ve been waiting for this moment for almost six years now,” Tennant, a Grade 12 student at South Lincoln High School, said. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and down in my track and field career so far.
“I’m considering this as a high and I’m really excited for my next step in the journey.”
Tennant is a world-class discus, javelin and shotput thrower. To date she has won eight Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) gold medals, two national championships, in both discus and javelin; and has received the Female Thrower of the Year Award from Athletics Ontario.
The 5-foot-10 student athlete has also broken several records at the midget and high school level, and is hoping to add to that list at her final OFSAA track and field championship June 1-3 in Belleville.
“I think the next records on my to-do list is at OFSAA this year,” Tennant said. “But there are two interscholastic records, which are Canadian high school records. I really have my eyes set on those.
“The one is discus is within reach and the one in shot is right there, too.”
Tennant will be taking a double major in physical education at Kent State, which is in Ohio, southeast of Cleveland. Her scholarship covers five years of books and tuition, plus housing and living expenses.
“Kent is going to be a big move for me,” she said. “Ohio is close enough, but it’s still about five hours away.
“I’m going to miss my family a lot, but I’ve got quite the family at Kent.”
Tennant felt welcomed during her campus visit.
“There’s a really big team atmosphere,” she said. “I loved the team when I went on my visit.
“It just felt like a really big team atmosphere.”
Her personal coach for the six years, John Ahlstedt, said he never doubted that Tennant would be receive a scholarship from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) program.
“She always was self-driven,” Ahlstedt said. “My job has always been to take the athetes and get them a scholarship.
“Grace is now one of the top throwers in the country, so I feel I’ve done my job.”
Brandon Tennant said his daughter has always had the mindset to be the best, a quality he hopes will take her further in life. He said seeing her compete is a testament to what she has already accomplished.
“Watching her compete is totally different,” the father said. “She’s focused and you cannot talk to her. You can’t give her any words of encouragement, and I think she just needs to go out and do her thing.
“I think signing here today is a chance for her to go out and chase her dreams.”