Scheels Athlete of the Week: West Branch Sophomore Hamann Excelling In Two Sports This Spring
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
WEST BRANCH – Competing at a high level in two different sports this spring keeps Grace Hamann plenty busy.
Splitting time between the West Branch track and field and soccer teams this spring has been a challenge for Hamann this spring but the dual sport workload hasn’t slowed her down for even a second.
Hamann has been equally impressive on the track and the soccer field and is coming off one of her best dual-sport showings of the season last week.
Hamann scored three goals in a 5-0 win over 6-0 win over Northeast on April 28.
A day later Hamann won two individual events and anchored the West Branch distance medley relay team to a runner-up finish at the Cedar Rapids Xavier Invitational.
That back-to-back two-sport performance was one of several of its kind this season for Hamann who has embraced the balance and demands of being a two-sport, same season athlete.
It’s taxing definitely on your body, I feel like I’m not fresh all the time, it’s definitely hard but I think it’s fun,” Hamann said. “I only have four years to do it so it’s an opportunity that I am really lucky to have.”
On the soccer field Hamann has emerged as one of the most prolific goal scorers in Class 1A.
Hamann ranks 10th in 1A with 21 goals this season while helping West Branch to a 6-4 record which matches the program-record for single season wins.
Hamann set a single-match school record with seven goals in an 8-0 win over Wapello on Tuesday and also has a pair of assists this season.
“She is fast, she is quick and she knows she’s fast so she wants to drive it all the way to the house so what we are trying to get her to do is distribute the ball as much as she can,” West Branch co-head coach Jose Gongora said. “She can score but we want her to pass and go and get everyone involved and she’s done that really well.”
The performances on the track have been equally impressive for Hamann.
Last week she won the 400 hurdles in 1:10.52 and the 800 in 2:27.82 at the Cedar Rapids Xavier Invite.
At the same meet Hamann finished sixth in the 1,500 in a time of 5:11.67 and anchored the West Branch distance medley team to a runner-up finish.
The competition on back-to-back days adds from stress for Hamann but hasn’t stopped her from excelling.
“I definitely do think about it, it stresses me out a little knowing I am playing an 80-minute soccer game and then going and running however many events at track,” Hamann said. “It’s hard and my body is definitely sore but it’s just a part of it.”
Hamman currently has the 10th fastest time in Class 2A in the 800 at 2:21.98, ranks eighth in 2A in both the 400 hurdles (1:07.48) and 1,500 (4:58.01).
Hamann also has the 13th fastest time in the 3,000 at 10:56.98.
“My main goal is I definitely want to go with what I had last year and just try to improve on it,” Hamann said. “That’s ultimately what I’m focused on.”
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