Butler track and field sprinter Jace Gratzmiller looking to leave his mark on program after injury
BUTLER TWP — Jace Gratzmiller crossed the finish line first as the anchor leg of Butler’s 4x400-meter relay Saturday at the South Fayette Invitational.
He hopes to make it a habit.
The meet marked the Golden Tornado junior’s return to competition since straining a hamstring during the Butler County Classic a few weeks ago.
“That set him back a little,” Butler track and field coach Mike Seybert said. “The way he started this spring season ... I couldn’t believe it. Jace missed the indoor season because he’s on the basketball team.
“But he ran like he never missed a beat.”
Besides the relays, Gratzmiller runs the 100, 200 and 400 meters in individual competition. He ran the 100 in 11.15 seconds to begin this season, .08 of a second off reaching the team’s all-time top 10 in that event.
He ran the 200 in 22.23 seconds, which already placed him fifth all-time in Butler track annals. His early season time of 50.54 seconds in the 400 was half a second short of breaking into the school’s all-time top 10.
“My goal is to wind up somewhere on that (top 10) list in all three of those events,” Gratzmiller said. “Yeah, I’m a little bit behind, but it’s not like I can’t catch up.
“I only missed four meets, a couple of weeks. ... It’s not like I’ll be out for the entire season.”
Grazmiller’s split in the 4x400 Saturday was 50.90 seconds. Butler won that event with a time of 3 minutes, 22.12 seconds.
That was the only event Gratzmiller competed in that day. Butler’s school record in the 4x400 is 3:18.39.
“Our 4x4 has a legitimate shot at that record this year,” Seybert said. “It’s already crept within three seconds of it, and Jace wasn’t even running that day. He’s only going to get faster, and that relay is only going to get faster.
“All that time he was sidelined, Jace was still working out on his own, doing what he could do without aggravating that hamstring. He’s hungry. He knows what he’s capable of.”
He also knows what he’s up against. He sees it every day in practice.
Seybert said the Tornado currently have nine boys who can break 51 seconds in the 400.
“We used to hope we’d have a couple of guys like that,” the coach said. “This spring has been incredible. They all push each other to get better. Everyone wants to be in the lineup somewhere.”
Gratzmiller’s older brother, Raine, competes in track and field at Washington & Jefferson College. He joined the basketball team there, as well.
Jace plans to compete in collegiate track, too.
“Following Raine has really helped me,” Gratzmiller said. “I learned how to train, get the right amount of sleep and rest. He showed me what it takes to compete and be part of this program.”
While Gratzmiller has his eyes on individual success at the upcoming WPIAL and PIAA meets, he is more in tune with his team’s success at those competitions.
“I’ll do anything I can to help our team win championships,” Gratzmiller said. “Of course, I want to win events on my own. But when your team wins, everybody enjoys it. It’s a lot more meaningful when you contribute to a team title. It’s more memorable.”
Butler’s coaches appreciate such an attitude.
“Jace can do a lot of things, help us in a lot of ways,” Seybert said. “We know we can plug him into any relay at any time, any sprint event, and we’ll know he’ll be on board with it.”
But he does reserve a bit of selfishness for himself.
“Those top-10 lists, they’re motivating,” Gratzmiller said. “I don’t think I’m ever going to reach Guinness Brown’s (sprint) records here, but getting on that list somewhere, given all of the great athletes who have come through this program ... that would be awesome, knowing I left my name there as part of this program’s legacy.”
