Generational talent: Condon's Grady Greenwood

Natalie Wilkins knows a good runner when she sees one. Having coached Cross-Country and Track for nine years at Condon Middle School and High School, Natalie can immediately spot talent.

But talent only takes an athlete so far. Development, training, and mental fortitude separates the talented from champions.

Natalie's daughter Kallyn Wilkins had "it." The gifts and athleticism, but also the work ethic and desire to win. Kallyn shattered school records and was a Cross-Country and State Track and Field Champion. Few coaches get the opportunity to coach another generational talent, especially at a small school.

But that is what happened. Natalie began coaching Grady Greenwood when he was in Middle School. Natalie remembers the first time she saw Grady run competitively and knew that he had unbridled potential.

"Anytime you watch someone run across the field, you can just tell a little bit by their stride and their gait, and Grady definitely has always had a really nice stride and he's always been super athletic," Wilkins says. "But I think the biggest thing about Grady when it comes to running, he runs with so much confidence."

That confidence and ability was on full display last week at Hayward Field in Eugene, where Grady Greenwood set a new state track meet record in the 800 Meters, and in the 1500 Meters, where he had a personal best and new school record.

Returning to Hayward Field and finding goals for 2024 could have been a challenge for Greenwood. Last year as a junior, Grady had an incredible Cross Country and Track and Field season. In 2023, he set a new school record in Cross-Country in the fall, and then outdid himself in the spring. Greenwood shattered Condon High School records that had been held since the 1970s in the 3000 meters, 1500 meters, and 800 meters.

Following up on such a monumental year could inflate egos and diminish the competitive edge. But not for Greenwood.

Over the summer, Grady attended a running camp in the Steens Mountains. He met other runners from around the northwest who wanted to gain an edge, and to improve.

"It definitely helped me mentally and physically," Greenwood says of the running camp in the Steens Mountains. "Like, mentally because you're up in the mountains and there's no (cell) service so you don't have your phone six days and it's just you and whole bunch of kids who all just want to get better at running."

Greenwood carried that edge into the Cross-Country season this year, where he set a school record and won the state championship. Grady wasn't sure if he wanted to play basketball or to focus on running, but decided to play in his senior year. He was awarded with second-team all-league honors.

But all year, Grady was looking forward to the spring and to challenging himself on the track.

He worked hard in practice and also worked to study his opponents and create strategies.

"He is a total student of the sport," said coach Natalie Wilkins. "He studies shoes, we talk race strategy all the time, and he knows his competition and how they run so we can set up a race that'll benefit him."

The hard work and attention to detail paid off. Just weeks before the District Championships, Greenwood crushed his own record in the 800 meters that he had set in 2023 – shaving off an impressive four seconds.

After taking home first place in the 1500, 800, and 4x400 relay with his teammates at the District Championship, Greenwood began preparing for the State Championships in Eugene.

Running at Hayward Field is unlike anywhere else, Grady says. Performing at his highest ability on the highest stage did bring some butterflies.

"Running at Hayward is really hard to explain because it's such a like an electric environment," Grady says. "It's like no other place I've ever ran and there was definitely a little bit of pressure."

But those nerves settled and when the starting gun went off, Grady Greenwood ran at his best.

He set a new personal record and Condon High School record in the 1500 Meters with a time of 4:02 flat.

He won the 800 Meters with a time of 1:57:25 – a new 1A State Track record and coming close to beating his own personal record that he set weeks before. Grady says that he was happy with the race but didn't realize that he had set a new personal record and school record until he reached the podium.

Greenwood then ran in the 4x400 relay with teammates Walker Lathrop, Kaden Hall, and Jayden Havins to finish with a new personal record of 3:39.21.

Grady says that finishing his high school career with personal records at the State Championships was like a dream come true.

Despite these accomplishments, Grady remains humble and is continually trying to get better and looks toward the future.

Over spring break, Grady Greenwood signed a letter of intent and accepted a scholarship offer with Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. There, Grady will be reunited with his old Cross Country teammate Trevor Nichols from Heppner.

Looking back at his high school career, Grady says that he was fortunate to have good coaches and a supportive community.

"I'm thankful for the support that the community in Condon has shown ever since I was a freshman," Greenwood said. "It feels so much more personal when we're in a smaller community and I'm thankful to everyone in Condon."