Grant, Pace Named Athletes of the Week

Congratulations to this week's Cranford Patch Athletes of the Week, freshman track star Bryanna Grant and senior basketball standout Nick Pace.

Grant competed on the Girls State Relay Shuttle Hurdle Relay Championship Team and will be traveling to Boston for the Nike Indoor Nationals in March with the team.

"I didn't know I would be this good," said Grant. "It's really fun working with coach Kane and all the other coaches. I expected to just be a sprinter, 100, 200's. I never thought I was going to do high jump."

"So far, Bryanna's been a nice addition to our team," said head coach Peter Kane. "She has given us the ability to spread our players out. She found a very easy niche in the high jump right away and has done very well in the hurdles, helping us to qualify for the Shuttle Hurdle Relays for nationals."

Grant is also a 5'0 high jumper that does not use the typical style of the "flop." She scissor kicks over the bar, and according to her coach, being able to scissor 5'0 is very rare.

"She has her unorthodox way of scissor kicking, she's not used to how to flop yet," said Kane. "Unlike most freshmen, she's not rattled by the competition. The pressure of being the only person competing, coming from a gymnastics background, is never in the back of her head."

After spending years in gymnastics, Grant decided to participate in track in middle school when she moved to Cranford and it turned out to be one of the best decisions she's ever made.

"It's been easier than I thought it would be," said Grant. "High jump is not that hard, but hurdles is a little harder."

Grant was also a member of the gymnastics team last fall.

"Gymnastics is really fun at the high school. I knew most of my teammates because I'd compete against them in club gymnastics."

Our Boys' Athlete of the Week is Nick Pace, who is not only a star on the basketball court but also in soccer and baseball as well. He credits his father, Nick Sr., with getting him involved in sports at an early age.

"My dad started me young in every sport," said Pace. "He worked with me throughout the years and I've just kept on playing ever since."

He is also humble about his ability, never thinking he was one of the best while growing up.

"I honestly didn't. I thought I'd just be a mediocre player at best," he said. "I've been playing pretty hard and been playing well with all the teams and following the coaches who are teaching me and I've been gaining a lot of information playing sports and getting better as the years go on."

Pace also led Union County in assists on the soccer field last fall with 18, helping his team win the county championship for the very first time.

The point guard has helped the Cougars hoopsters to a share of the conference championship, looking to win it outright in the next week.

"I'm really happy with our team," said Pace. "I'm impressed with how we've been playing. We've been playing hard all year. We listen to our coaches and we've been following what we're supposed to do."

Can he admit to having a favorite sport?

"I love basketball, I love it, it's my passion. I really want to play in college, but it depends on what happens."