Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jan 7, 20222 min
The Stride Report has confirmed that Nebraska distance runner Grace Pagone will be finishing her eligibility as a graduate transfer with D2 powerhouse Grand Valley State starting this winter. Pagone is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining for both indoor and outdoor track (each) as well as one season of cross country eligibility.
The Husker-turned-Laker has proven to be a very solid and underrated talent during her time at Nebraska. Pagone thrived in the longer distances, posting marks of 16:51 for 5000 meters and 34:55 for 10,000 meters.
The Nebraska runner finished in 53rd place at the BIG 10 XC Championships back in January of 2021 and later finished 64th at the Midwest Regional Championships this past fall.
Pagone could prove to be yet another lethal scorer during her time with GVSU. The Lakers' current roster is already stacked with top-tier talents, including numerous title contenders across the entire spectrum of distance races.
Now, this group of D2 distance talents will somehow get even stronger.
Given her personal best of 16:51 for 5000 meters, Pagone should be seen as an immediate contender for an All-American spot in that event come March. For perspective, that PR would have ranked Pagone at NCAA #7 in the D2 ranks during the 2021 indoor track season and NCAA #29 during the 2021 outdoor track season.
Similarly, Pagone's personal best mark of 34:55 for 10,000 meters would have ranked her at NCAA #13 during the 2021 outdoor track season.
On paper, Pagone looks like she can be an instant impact talent as soon as she steps foot on the Allendale, Michigan campus. Her personal bests suggest that she should be able to qualify for the D2 indoor and outdoor national meets as soon as this season. Pagone's times are also strong enough to put her in contention for an All-American finish, depending on the race and the season.
On the grass, the addition of this former Nebraska runner couldn't have come at a better time. Based strictly on eligibility, the Lakers are set to return most of their elite-level cross country scorers from this past fall.
Back in November, Grand Valley State finished runner-up to Adams State by 20 points.
In theory, Pagone could be a massive addition for GVSU on the grass, potentially giving them another All-American-caliber distance talent who can shorten the gap between the Lakers and the Grizzlies.
All in all, Grace Pagone looks like she is going to be a massive addition for her new team. She will instantly enter the national qualifying conversation, immediately contend for All-American finishes and likely play a scoring role for GVSU at the national meet as they attempt to win NCAA gold on the grass.
And of course, none of that factors in the likely improvements that we will see from Pagone as she makes her transition to the D2 level.
Make no mistake, few moves in the NCAA have been as impactful as Pagone transitioning to GVSU this year.