Comets’ Grazio captures bronze medal at PIAA Championships

SHIPPENSBURG — If Grayce Grazio was nervous on Saturday, she certainly didn’t show it.

Competing in front of a packed house at sun-splashed Seth Grove Stadium on Day 2 of the PIAA Track and Field Championships, the Crestwood High School freshman calmly delivered her best track and field performance yet. Grazio cleared 5-feet-5 in the high jump to establish a new school record, and went on to earn a Class 3A bronze medal from her first state meet.

“It was a little bit (overwhelming), but I think that it made it a lot easier with the support of coaches and teammates,” she said of the state competition at Shippensburg University.

“It made it a really fun experience and really took the stress out of it, and it just made me happy to be here.

“The nerves were there, but I knew if I just relaxed and put my mind to it, the nerves weren’t going to affect me.”

And they didn’t.

Grazio came in at 4-feet-10 and cleared every height on her first try until she reached 5-4, where she missed her first attempt but hit her second. After a pair of misses 5-5, she cleared that height on her final attempt to secure the school record and the bronze, sharing the third spot with Warwick’s Katie Becker after all tiebreakers were exhausted.

Those two bowed out at 5-6, while Chester freshman Niya Jeffers went on to win the gold at 5-7.

Grazio said she exceeded her best hopes for her first state meet.

“I had hopes, but no real expectations,” Grazio said. “I was really hopeful for 5-5 to get that school record, and I would have loved to be on that podium somewhere. Seventh or eighth place I maybe do this in college.”

Two other Crestwood athletes were also competing at the state championships at Shippensburg. Comets freshman Jaden Shedlock clocked an 11.23 in the boys’ 3A 100-meter dash preliminaries on Friday, but did not advance to the finals.

Dylon Simon of Parkland was the fastest morning qualifier at 10.57 seconds. Also on Friday, sophomore Sarah Shipton placed 18th in the girls’ 3A pole vault, clearing the opening height of 10-3 before bowing out. Katie would have been more than excited for.” Instead, she brought home a bronze medal, and expectations for a bright future in the sport. “Honestly, I’m just so excited. I’m excited to be here, I’m excited for the experience, and I’m excited for my years to come in this sport,” she said. “I would love to keep being at states for the next three years, and