Grace Bishop described her four-year high school cross country career as a “crazy ride.”
Another way to describe it would be phenomenal.
A senior, Bishop concluded her cross country journey by leading College Heights Christian School to the Class 1 girls state championship on Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
After a fourth-place finish individually, Bishop took her spot on the awards podium twice, first to receive her all-state medal and then a few minutes later to help accept the Cougars’ team championship trophy.
“I’m just so proud of our team and all the hard work we put in this season,” Bishop said Monday. “I’m so glad all of our hard work paid off.”
In her final prep cross country race, Bishop toured the 5-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 48 seconds. In a race featuring 165 runners, Bishop went to the front early and stayed there.
She was in fifth place after the first 1,000 meters. Bishop had moved up to fourth by the 3K mark and remained there the rest of the way.
“I knew I had to go out fast or I might get boxed in,” Bishop said. “My first kilometer was my fastest (3:45). Once I got up ahead, I just tried to increase my lead against the girls that were behind me.”
Bishop said a few minutes after she finished the race, and as she watched her teammates cross the finish line one-by-one, she eventually came to a realization that the Cougars had accomplished their lofty goal of securing a previously elusive state crown.
“It was crazy,” Bishop said. “Joy and gratitude rushed over us. We were all crying. We were just so happy we accomplished our goal. When they handed us the plaque, it was so surreal. It was such a fun experience to have with the team.”
The Cougars were confident a team title was a possibility ahead of the event.
“We had looked at the MoMileSplit virtual meet and they had us ranked third,” Bishop added. “We knew it was possible to win it, but we knew we’d have to run our best.”
Bishop said she and her teammates feel proud they were able to accomplish something that had never been done by a girls cross country team at CHC.
“We’re leaving a legacy,” she said. “When I started my freshman year there were only a few girls on the team. Now we have a full team and one that won a state championship. I hope that encourages more girls to run. I think more people in our school are excited about cross country now, so I’m excited to see what the lasting impact of this championship will be.”
A STANDOUT CAREER
It was a fitting end to a stellar prep career for Bishop, a multi-sport standout.
Although she didn’t give cross country a try until her freshman year of high school, Bishop’s individual accomplishments in the sport are eye-opening.
The daughter of Jill and Brad Bishop ended her prep cross country career as a four-time conference champion, a two-time district champ and a three-time all-state honoree.
“I definitely didn’t think I’d be a good runner,” Bishop said. “And when I came out my freshman year, I never would have thought that we’d win a state championship. I’m so grateful. I’ve learned a lot during these four years about life through running. It’s been a lot of fun, but there’s been a lot of hard work and sacrifice. It’s been a crazy ride the last four years.”
In her last three state appearances, Bishop finished fourth as a senior, 13th in Class 2 as a junior and 22nd in Class 2 as a sophomore.
“I know she says she didn’t realize how good she was going to be, but it’s not surprising to me,” College Heights coach Phillip Jordan said of Bishop’s success. “She’s an extremely hard-working individual. She also has natural ability.”
So what’s been Bishop’s key to success.
“It took a lot of time on my own,” she said. “I ran more on my own before the sun rose this year than I had in the past. Early-morning running, that’s what did it. I play club soccer year-round, so finding the balance of training for soccer and training for cross country was tough.”
Speaking of soccer, Bishop will play that sport at the next level, as she’s committed to continuing her athletic and academic career at John Brown University in Arkansas.
At CHC, Bishop has participated in cross country, basketball, track and field and soccer. She also plays club soccer in Springfield.
In basketball, Bishop is poised to have a big senior year after she earned first team all-district and all-conference honors as a junior and a sophomore.
With a grueling cross country season now behind her, Bishop was asked if she was going to take a couple of nights off before joining the girls basketball team’s preseason practices.
Her answer spoke volumes.
“I’ll be at basketball practice today and then later tonight I’m going to Springfield for soccer practice,” she said. “I’m ready. Days off are not a thing in my life.”
