H-S Athlete of the Week: Grace Trimmer, Uniontown
Name: Grace Trimmer
School: Uniontown
Class: Senior
Sport: Cross country
Trimmer’s week: Trimmer earned a silver medal at the WPIAL Class AA Cross Country Championship held at the White Oak Park course in McKeesport last Thursday. Trimmer finished with a PR time of 18:15.20 to qualify for the PIAA championships for the third time. The state meet will be held Saturday at Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey. It was the second WPIAL medal Trimmer secured. She finished third last year.
Trimmer finished second to Quaker Valley senior Cecliia Montagnese, who topped her previous PR by about one minute, in last week’s race. “It was a good race,” Trimmer said. “She pushed me and I was able to PR, too. I was proud to win the silver medal. I’m hoping to place in the top 10 at states. I definitely want to medal again. I placed seventh last year so I’m hoping to see some improvement either with my time or place.”
Trimmer will have some company on her trip as freshman Charley Murtha also qualified for the PIAA meet. “I’m so excited for her,” Trimmer said. “It’s great that she’s a freshman and doing so phenomenal. I’m really excited to have her with me going there.”
Trimmer, the 17-year-old daughter of Kenneth and Michelle Trimer who sports a 3.9 cumulative GPA, drew praise from Lady Raiders coach Joe Everhart. “Grace is a phenomenal athlete who’s doing extremely well this year,” Everhart said. “I think what probably most impresses me is her character, the way she carries herself. She’s extremely humble and has a sincere concern for her teammates. She’s a great athlete to coach.”
Trimmer thinks highly of Everhart as well. “I would argue he’s the best coach ever,” Trimmer said. “He’s such an amazing person. He’s so supportive of everybody. There are times he’ll be happy and joking with you, but then he can help you get serious before a race. I’m sad to be leaving him after this year but I know he’ll probably come out and watch me race in college. He’s a great person.”
Trimmer’s accomplishments include winning the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA), Tri-State Track Coaches Association (TSTCA) and A.J. Everhart Invitational championships this year, being named the Milesplit Runner of the Week and breaking the school record with a time of 18:15, obliterating the previous mark of 18:56 held by her sister Hope, a 2022 Uniontown graduate who is currently running for Lehigh. She considers her TSTCA win her most impressive of the season. “I think the Tri-State race was one of my most memorable,” Trimmer said. “I won by about 55 seconds. There was just something about it, it felt very special, being able to win it after getting third the year before.”
Injury delay: Trimmer missed the beginning of the cross country season after suffering a concussion over the summer. “I got it while I was on a water slide,” Trimmer said. “I was going down backwards and kind of bounced and hit my head back really hard and gave myself whiplash. I had to take about four weeks off, a majority of July and some of August at the beginning of the season. It made it kind of difficult in some aspects to get my fitness back but on the good side since I started a little later I still feel fresh whenever I race now, I don’t feel burned out at all.”
Support system: Trimmer has plenty of people backing her. “My family are my biggest supporters, and I consider my team my family, too, they’re always behind me,” Trimmer said. “It’s great having those type of people in your life.
“My sister is my biggest role model because she’s a runner like me who is experienced in it. Hope is able to help me out and give me tips before a race and anything I need,” added Trimmer, who also has an elder brother, Noah, who was a soccer player for Uniontown.
Art lover: Trimmer intends to major in psychology and minor in art in college. “I’m really big into art,” she said. “I’m hoping to become an art therapist. That’s a big part of my life. I love taking all the art classes I can at school and creating all sorts of stuff. One of my favorite things is ceramics. I like painting and drawing and I like to make 3D things out of wire and like sculpting.”
Tidbits: Trimmer is a frontrunner when it comes to cross country running. “I try to get out to a good lead and then try to maintain it,” she said. “I hate being stuck in a pack so I just try to stay out of those as much as I can.” … Trimmer has also participated in gymnastics and swimming before running took over. “I started running in seventh grade but I didn’t start doing track until my sophomore year,” she said. “I did gymnastics while I was growing up and then switched to running. I do indoor track over the winter so it helps me ease into the spring track season. Cross country is definitely my favorite. I did swim for one year, too.”
Compiled by Rob Burchianti