Editor's Note: The Marist Athletics Department is continuing to highlight its Senior Awards finalists. From April 20-May 15, a feature story will be presented on each finalist for Sportsperson of the Year.
Sportsperson Finalists: Megan Fergus | Sydney Ford | Alana Gilmer
Previous finalists: Female Strength & Conditioning (April 14) | Male Strength & Conditioning (April 15) | Female Pizzani (April 16) | Male Pizzani (April 17)
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Denise Grohn of Marist track & field and cross country has been named a finalist for Female Sportsperson of the Year. The distance specialist is one of the most accomplished runners in recent years for the Red Foxes, and closed her career without the opportunity to race in her final season.
The recent years for the Running Red Foxes have been some of the most successful in program history, and Grohn has been a part of every moment. She excelled on the cross country course, the indoor track and the outdoor track, and has propelled Marist to greatness on more than one occasion. As a captain for the 2019-20 seasons, she led the program to historic performances such as their best ever regional ranking and numerous MAAC and ECAC medals.
"Denise exudes positivity in everything she does – every practice, every lift, every meet, every day. And she's a winner and a gamer," lauded Director of track & field and cross country Pete Colaizzo. "Every great moment we've had over the past four years in all three seasons – cross country, indoor track and outdoor track – Densie has been right in the middle of it. She's an intuitive racer, knowing exactly when to make the right move at the right time. She's been a constant ray of sunshine in our program for the past four years."
"I think one of my favorite cross country memories was the 2018 NCAA Northeast Regionals in Buffalo. We woke up and it was snowing… hard," recalled Grohn. "That day was the true definition of cross country, and I was proud to wear a Marist singlet in the conditions out there."
That day on November 9, 2018 featured sub-freezing temperatures, strong winds, rainwater and more as hundreds of athletes lined up at the Audubon Golf Course. Marist was ranked 14
th in the region entering the meet, and knew they had a chance to upset the competition if they proved stronger than the other programs.
"We were passing people and beating teams who we had never beaten before because we were tougher in the horrible conditions. I remember in the last 1,000 meters of the race, I rounded a corner and saw Coach Pete Colaizzo jumping, waving his arms and yelling "We're doing it!". It encouraged me to push through my exhaustion and pain for my teammates."
The Red Foxes finished 11
th, matching their best-ever performance at the regional meet. They beat out #10 Albany, #12 Stony Brook, #13 Vermont and a host of other talented teams as they came together for one of their best races of the season. Grohn finished 85
th overall out of over 240 competitors on that cold and rainy morning.
"Cross country is hard because you can't see where your teammates are on the course at all times, but as I saw coach Pete, I knew we were doing something special that day. Hearing a coach yell "We're doing it" and not "You're doing it" makes me proud to run for a team that exemplifies what cross country is all about."
"Another memory I have is from the 2018 ECAC Outdoor Championships. I was in the 4x800m relay with
Shea Bohan,
Kerry Gaye and Jenna Robinson, and we had the goal of breaking the school record despite running in the slower heat," remembered Grohn.
In track meets, when there are more than eight competitors for certain races, they split the competition up into heats. Usually, the relays with the slower qualifying times will race in the earlier heats and the those with the faster qualifying times will race in the later heats.
"We won the first heat definitively because everyone ran amazingly! We broke the school record and nearly broke nine minutes, but that wasn't even the most exciting part. It wasn't apparent until the final leg of the following "fast" heat that we had a chance to score in the meet. Then, it became apparent in the final lap that we had a chance to win! I remember holding my breath as Cornell and Bucknell raced to finish, only to be slower than us! We won from the "slow" heat, which was a complete surprise."
Grohn anchored the school-record relay in a time of 2:15.98, crossing the line in a final mark of 9:00.35. They won their heat by four seconds over MAAC-rivals Manhattan, and broke the previous record of 9:06.60 set exactly one year prior. Bucknell won the second heat with a time of 9:00.75, but took second overall behind the Red Foxes.
"The whole team (the relay squad and the spectators) were all yelling, laughing and hugging. We won ECACs which I never thought could happen, especially from the slower heat. It was such a great day and a perfect way to end the year."
"I have been trying to think of the best things to say about my four years here, and it is so hard to narrow down. Some of my favorite moments have been the van rides to all of the various parks and rail trails where we run workouts such as FDR Farm Lane, New Paltz Rail Trail, Bowdoin Park and Vassar Farms," reflected Grohn. "I especially loved finishing Friday workouts at the New Paltz rail trail (usually the hardest workouts) when everyone would be cheering for each other as we grinded through the last brutal mile repeat. After the workouts were complete, we would crank the music and have such fun van rides home! I will miss those fall Fridays a lot."
As
Denise Grohn graduates as one of the most accomplished runners in many years for the Red Foxes, her favorite memories are still the moments she shared with her teammates and fellow Red Foxes. As a 10-time MAAC medalist, All-MAAC Cross Country performer and three-time school record holder, the distance runner has seen a lot of success in her time. Still, she cherishes her memories with her teammates, coaches and best friends above all else, and will take those moments with her for the rest of her life.
