All-Delco Girls Track & Field: Forbes stands out for red hair, golden performances
NETHER PROVIDENCE >> Grace Forbes is easy to spot, whether it’s on the track or the soccer pitch. She’s the one with the bright red hair, which is a family trait.
The Strath Haven junior is the third of six children of Drs. Brian Forbes and Marianne McCormick and all six, plus the parents, are redheads, which makes family outings interesting.
“We get looks, a lot of looks,” Forbes said. “And the one thing people always say is, ‘Don’t ever dye your hair.’”
Forbes is getting noticed for something more than her brightly colored locks. She has developed into one of the top distance runners in the state, a position she earned during a breakout season in 2018.
She finished second in the 800 at the PIAA Class 3A championships in May with a school-record time of 2 minutes, 10.97 seconds, the third fastest time in the state, according to pa.milesplit.com. That’s the best finish by a female athlete from Strath Haven in an individual event at the state meet since All-Delco Alix Williams was second in the 300-meter hurdles in 2008.
Forbes also set the school record in the 1,600 (4:54.81), a time that is eighth best in the state.
Throw in the silver medal she won in the 4 x 800-meter relay, along with her younger sister, Maggie, Taylor Barkdoll and Abby Loiselle, and Forbes was an easy choice for Athlete of the Year honors in girls track from the Daily Times.
Joining Forbes on the All-Delco first team are Strath Haven teammates Jordan Brown and Dana Hubbell; Tatiyana Laylor, Elicia Moore and Kyra Carroll from Penn Wood; Elizabeth Mancini of Cardinal O’Hara; Meghan Lynch and Brianna Foster from Ridley; Jessica Schneider from Notre Dame; Cecilia Katcavage of Haverford High; Tara Higgins from Penncrest; Riley Beebe of Garnet Valley; Keara Seasholtz from Radnor; Siani Barnes of Upper Darby and Hannah Oropollo from Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast.
Mancini is a three-time first-team All-Delco selection and was the 2017 girls Runner of the Year in cross country. Forbes, Laylor, Moore, Carroll, Katcavage and Higgins also are repeat selections to the All-Delco team, which was chosen by the Daily Times sports staff after consultation with county coaches.
Forbes blossomed as an individual runner as a junior, even though she preferred relay races because of the team aspect of the event. That’s not a surprise since she’s also a member of the girls soccer team at Strath Haven.
After this season, though, she’s coming round to the individual events. She won the 800 and 1,600 at Delcos. The win in the 1,600 was her second straight at the county championship. The victory in the 800 started a streak of three straight wins in the event. She also brought home the Central League and District 1 Class 3A titles in the 800.
“Individual races are fun, too,” Forbes said.
Being a soccer player as well as a runner, one would expect that Forbes is wrapped up in the World Cup. Not so.
“I do not like watching professional soccer,” Forbes said. “Everyone is so good that it’s all passing so it’s a little boring.”
Forbes began playing soccer at age 4, but realized once she got to high school that running was her future and has geared her workouts to that end.
“I want to improve my time, get ready for the college so I’ve been training harder, a lot harder than usual,” Forbes said. “Last year I thought a long run was three miles, but I’ve been doubling that distance to get better times.”
Forbes also plans to run cross country as a senior, while continuing to play soccer because, well, she likes a challenge and Strath Haven coach Bill Coren wants her to expand her range.
“I have coached a number of strong distance girls (Lisa Vienneau, Hannah Grossman, Melissa Frick, Sarah Rutkowski, Allie Wilson, Kristin Miller and others) Grace Forbes is probably the best girl I have ever coached and she definitely has the best range,” Coren said. “… So that she will see that maybe the 800 is too short for her and in college she will likely be a 5K runner.”
Forbes’ challenges aren’t limited to the athletic field. Of the eight courses she will take as a senior, five are Advanced Placement (AP) classes.
“I really like science and math,” Forbes said. “I’m going to take AP chemistry. I really excited about that. I’m also going to take AP statistics, too.”
One course she wanted to take, though, did not fit into her busy academic and athletic schedule.
“I was hoping to take AP ceramics my senior year, but unfortunatelty, but there’s not enough time so I’m going to take an independent studies in ceramics and go home and make pottery during the school day,” Forbes said. “I really like ceramics. Actually, we just got a free pottery wheel so I’m going to try to start a business, which sounds weird, but I want to make mugs and things and have the profits go to an organization that I still have to pick.”
The biggest decision, though, is where to go to college. She recently took an unofficial visit to Duke and has also heard from Rice, where her older sister Maddie, will be a sophomore, and Penn.
“I want to challenge myself academically,” Forbes said. “Both of my parents are doctors. I recently had the privilege of following my dad around. He’s an eye doctor and I loved it. Hopefully I’ll be in the medical field and help saves some lives.”
