Future Stars: Avery Grant's Keeping Up With A Fast Crowd

The beauty of High School sports is that there is always a new face ready to debut. Seniors graduate, and new athletes come in to take their place. Each week, we take a look at one of the names that are here to stay over the next few years, as they take on the veterans of our Sport.

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It's not easy growing in Section 2. It can be hard to stand out, even when you're a new up-and-coming freshman, competing well above the rest in your class. Such is life for Avery Grant (Voorheesville), who is the fifth-best freshman and under female in New York State, based on Speed Ratings. She's competed well, and brought valuable points to her team. And she could be easy to miss in a crowded field, mixing it up with some of the best in the country.

She was the top finisher at the Albany County Champs, outside of the US #1 team. She beat her freshman teammate, Savannah Schmidt, for one of the Varsity wins at the Burnt Hills Invite, and leading her team to the title there too. At McQuaid, in the premier race, she finished 9th overall, the fastest time of the day for a freshman.

All good signs for the Class C standout. But her biggest test, could be next weekend. There, she is favored to win the Class C crown at the Section 2 Championships, on the course that will hold States.

It's a big step up for the freshman, who found herself excelling in the long sprints as an 8th grader on the track. She highlighted those seasons with a 1:45 in the 600, and a 2:19 over 800m Outdoors.

With her valuable training partner by her side, it should be quite a race.