Fast Track to Nationals

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- She has competed in nine races for the Bridgewater State University women's outdoor track & field team this spring, placing first or second in six of them.

Sprinter Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.) has had a sensational sophomore season for the Bears, earning All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, All-Division III New England and All-New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association honors.

There is one last matter left for Inacio before her second collegiate season comes to an end.

She has qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 100-meter dash and will run in the preliminary race Friday at 6:20 p.m. (EDT) in La Crosse, Wis.

That high-profile capper to the season nearly was derailed, however, when the health science major suffered a hamstring injury on May 9 at the NEICAAA meet held at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

While finishing seventh in the 100 in a meet that included runners from all three divisions, Inacio hurt the hamstring and did not race in the 200.

With the NCAAs rapidly approaching, Inacio was unsure if she would be able to race in the NCAAs a couple of weeks later should she qualify.

"I was really, really worried," said Inacio. "I had a lot of pain and was upset. I was thinking that I wasn't going to be able to run.

"I did everything I could to get better."

Five days after injuring the hamstring, Inacio took part in the MIT Final Qualifier meet in Cambridge, Mass., testing the hamstring in the 100.

She finished second in 11.99 seconds and had no issues with the hamstring. Two days after that, Inacio was on the final list for the 100 at the nationals, which are being held at Roger Harring Stadium at the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.

Missing out on the NCAAs after the season Inacio is having would have been difficult for her.

"It would have been really, really disappointing," said Inacio. "The whole season I was on the list (of qualifiers). I never moved. For me to get hurt while being on the list would have hurt.

"Each day got better, but I wasn't sure if I could compete at 100 percent of my ability. I ran at MIT and said that I could do this. I'm really happy.

"It's actually a lot better now. I haven't been feeling any pain. To be able to make it here, do that (MIT meet), I'm confident. To make it to the nationals is all I could ask for. Everything worked out."

Inacio is one of 22 sprinters in the 100 and the field will be narrowed Friday to the final eight, who will race on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).

Inacio qualified with a school-record time of 11.89 seconds, set on April 25 at the MASCAC Championships in Fitchburg, Mass. She broke the mark of 11.99 set a year ago by Alison McDonough.

She is ranked tied for No. 21 going into the NCAAs, just .19 away from the top eight.

This marks the second trip to the nationals in three months for Inacio, who qualified for the indoor championships in March in the 200. Inacio was 14th with a time of 24.88 for second-team All-America honors at Birmingham, Ala.

Inacio also went to the NCAAs as a freshman last May as part of the 4x100 relay team and helped the Bears place sixth in 46.33 seconds. That is the only BSU women's relay team to make the nationals.

Now Inacio will be running in the 100 at the NCAAs in the final athletics event for BSU in the 2025-26 academic year.

This season, she was first in the 100 at the MASCACs and second at the Tufts Spring Invitational and at MIT plus seventh at the NEICAAA meet.

Inacio was first in the 200 at the Tufts meet, the BSU Bears Invitational and the MASCACs. She was third at the Division III New Englands in the 200.

At the competitive Emory Thrills in the Hills in Georgia, Inacio was fifth in the 200.

"It's been amazing this year," said Inacio. "Freshman year, I shaved down so much time from high school. Then I kept doing it this year. I know I really can continue."

Midway through her BSU career, Inacio will turn her attention to the 2026-27 indoor and outdoor seasons once she is finished at the NCAAs.

"I'm going to work more next year," she said. "I hope I can get a lot better. I'll bet lifting and I'm not going to miss a day of training. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing.

"I wanted to make it to the nationals every year. Freshman year (indoors) was too much to ask for, but I went in the spring that year.

"I really want to make it every season, and sophomore year I've done what I said wanted to do."

A top eight finish in Wisconsin would give Inacio first-team All-America honors.

After racing with the relay team that included McDonough, Kiara Abrantes and Jailene Escalera a year ago and taking part in the 200 in March, she has her sets sight on a solid race in the 100.

"I think I'll be a little more prepared," said Inacio. "It just feels different than a regular meet, obviously. The atmopshere is different and it's the last chance.

"I was very nervous (in March). But when I was in the block, I was, Ok. This is it. This is the meet and I've just got to be myself. I think I thought too much before that.

"I definitely could have done better. But I was still happy to be there and happy to have that experience.

"I'm excited to be going again. I got there because of hard work. I definitely want to PR. Just be strong and keep up with those girls. It's not the clock, it's keeping up with them."