PrepsAgenda.com’s Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year: De Pere’s Grace Matzke
Grace Matzke knew this was it.
This would be the last time she would be running three events in a meet.
The De Pere senior didn’t disappoint.
Matzke claimed her third consecutive titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Fox River Classic Conference track & field meet May 15.
Her crown jewel on the day was becoming a four-time champion in the 400 with a personal-best time of 57.63 seconds. Her bread-and-butter event.
An event she had went to state in three times before and medaled in as a freshman. The FRCC meet in Pulaski last month was the last time she ran it because nagging shin splints wouldn’t allow it anymore.
You wouldn’t have known it since she reset three of her school records that day, but Matzke was hurting to the point where she couldn’t do workouts anymore, being limited to stretching and some light practice on her starts.
But she fought through the pain and still got the finish she was looking for.
“My goal has been to get to the podium,” Matzke said after earning sixth-place finishes in the Division 1 girls 100 and 200 at the WIAA state track & field meet June 2.
“I actually didn’t think I got it. I was waiting for the board, kind of walking off and then I saw it, so I was excited. … I did not expect to run these kind of times.”
For her efforts, Matzke is PrepsAgenda.com’s girls track and field athlete of the year.
After making the decision to narrow her focus to the 100 and 200 for the postseason, Matzke reset her school records for both at sectionals and again at state preliminaries with times of 12.18 and 24.79 seconds, respectively, for the two sprints.
The two trips to the state podium capped an impressive career for the De Pere speedster.
Although it didn’t take her long to reach the finish line, her resume is quite lengthy:
- Four-time state medalist, including individual medals in three different events
- Nine-time state qualifier, including six times in individual events
- 10-time FRCC champion in individual events, including four-timer in 400
- Seven regional titles and six sectional titles
- Four school records (100, 200, 400 and 1,600 relay)
- Led the Green Bay area honor roll in the 100, 200 and 400 three times
Matzke medaled with a fourth-place finish in the 400 at state as a freshman, but showed her true mettle as the anchor leg of the 1,600 relay when she took a spike in the back of her leg from another runner and still managed to get her team to the podium with a sixth-place finish.
It was a sign of things to come for the girl who had already overcame scoliosis in middle school to become not just a good high school athlete, but a dominating one.
“She really saved her best for last,” De Pere coach James Boyd said.
“We figured she would be pretty good, but to do it for four years, and be that consistent, that’s a pretty rare find.”
A rare talent who is ready to run down new goals now that her days on the track are complete.
“I’m sad to be done, but I know I’m still going to want to compete in other things,” said Matzke, who will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I love sports, and I’m excited to move onto a new part of my life. I feel like it was a good finish today, getting on the podium twice. I was really happy with that.”