From cross country to a calling, Central's Grant Martin follows his brother's lead
· Yahoo Sports
Oct. 23—GRAND FORKS — Grant Martin's average race time has hovered right around 17 minutes this season. It's about the same time that his older brother Zachary, a Class of 2022 graduate, ran at Grand Forks Central.
Grant, a senior captain, has been a model of consistency for the Knights, according to head coach Sean Allan.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
It's something he picked up from Zachary.
"I just try to keep the same mindset," Grant said. "I'm not usually a high-low type of guy. I just stay mellow. As coach said, just stay consistent, keep on doing the same thing every time. Throughout my times this year, it's been about the same time every single meet. I kind of just copy after my brother, because that's about what he did too."
Grant, who was persuaded by his older brother to join cross country in middle school, has been one of Central's top runners this season. He paced the Knights with a time of 17:02.5 at the Eastern Dakota Conference championship, good for 11th place.
"I kind of had the mindset where I just didn't really have another chance after there," Grant said. "There was no option there, I just had to perform well because there was no really other choice, so I just set my mind that this is what I have to do, and then I just ran my heart out."
Grant finished 30th at last year's North Dakota cross country state meet with a time of 17:04.1. This year, he's aiming for a top-30 finish and, ideally, all-state honors by placing in the top 20.
This year's state meet is at Jamestown's Parkhurst Campground/Pipestem Reservoir, a course Grant has run twice a year since eighth grade. The Class A races will take place on Saturday.
"No matter if the course is hard or hilly, or the weather is good or bad, he just keeps running that same time," Allan said. "We're just hoping with the state meet and the good weather that he'll break through and run a sub-17."
Zachary's influence on his younger brother extends beyond running.
Grant plans to attend the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn., after high school to discern a call to the priesthood.
"It was actually at a church summer camp where I felt just a deep calling towards the priesthood, and then it just kept on growing ever since," Grant said. "Throughout that, I've just continued to discern that call, continued to listen to the Lord, and I've continued to feel peace and consolation in that."
Zachary entered the seminary for a spell, which sparked Grant's initial interest.
"He's one of my biggest role models, if not the biggest role model in my life," Grant said.
For now, though, Grant is focused on soaking up his senior year and final cross-country season.
"It's flown by so fast," Grant said. "It's very bittersweet. It's been very fun, it's kind of sad to see it all end, but I mean, it's all been so good. I was thinking at practice today, there are two options: I'm either sad that it's over, or I just be grateful for all the memories that I made over the years. So right now, I'm just in a state of gratitude for all of it even though it's flown by, it's just been so good for all the years."
Grant, a four-time all-conference runner, also serves as a leader on a team loaded with young talent.
Central finished third at the EDC championship with a team score of 119. Eighth-grader Gage Selby, freshman Ben Sapaugh and freshman Blaine Bulger all earned top-50 finishes.
"I know week in, week out what I'm going to get out of (Grant) performance-wise, and he just brings some of that calm maturity to the team that is actually really young," Allan said. "He just cares about everybody else so much. That's just one of the underlying things about him, is that he cares about his teammates. He's there to support them through good and bad situations. He's been mature — he felt like a senior when I met him as an eighth grader."