Coach Knight Turns Grace Track and Field into a Varsity Powerhouse
Media provided by Aubrey Shipway
Since Jelani Knight began coaching at Grace, the Track and Field team has not only doubled in size, but also has won the NYCAL 2025 championship and been able to compete on a national level.
When he first arrived at the high school, there were about 30 student-athletes on the Varsity Track and Field team. This year, the team had an impressive 64 team members.
Since joining Grace, Coach Knight has witnessed a significant shift in track and field culture.
“The kids are starting to embrace track and field as a Varsity Sport, and that was my number one goal coming into the school,” he said. “[Track] is a household name, so we want to treat it as such.”
Coach Knight has consistently sought to elevate Track and Field to the same level of recognition as more popular sports like basketball and soccer. With the overwhelming success of the 2025 Varsity Track team, it is safe to say that Coach Knight has achieved his goals for the team.
You may be wondering what Coach Knight has done to develop the team over the past two years. Well, he believes he tries to “breathe life” into the student athletes.
“There is nothing I think they can’t achieve, so first I will make sure they understand they can do whatever it is that they put their mind to,” he said. “Then, it is about holding them accountable to what I know they can achieve.”
Coach Knight emphasizes the importance of giving 100% effort day in and day out. At each meet, he encourages the athletes to give it their all, just like they would if it were a soccer or baseball game. In Coach Knight’s view, each meet, practice, or even single rep is an opportunity to improve and take a step closer to an athlete’s full potential.
To get insight into some student-athletes’ opinions of Coach Knight, two student interviews were conducted. One with first-year Track and Field member Hannah S. ‘27, and the other with third-year runner and co-captain Hallie R. ‘25.
Media Provided by Gracenet and revamped by Cate C. ’27
During a conversation with Hannah, she shared that “Coach Knight is always supportive, genuine, and humorous. This season was my first time being on the Track team, and he made sure that I felt welcome, regardless of my lack of prior track experience.”
Joining the varsity team of a sport, one you have no experience in, can be extremely nerve-racking. That is why having a coach who is there every step of the way to cheer you on is so important. Fortunately for the Track team, that is just the kind of coach Coach Knight is. He successfully balances holding athletes accountable while also making sure each student gets the support and encouragement they need to be the best runner they can be.
“He takes the time to get to know everyone,” Hannah added, “and it is clear that he wants all of his athletes and students to succeed.”
Selfie provided by Coach Knight
While reflecting on her three years on the Track and Field team, Hallie said, “My first two years [on Track] leading up to this year really made me care a lot about the team and the sport… A lot of that came from how supportive and invested Coach Knight is. I have never had a coach as good as him. He is so [passionate] about track that he just makes everyone else passionate about [it]… Track is a really challenging sport, both physically and mentally, but he somehow has made it exciting, and he takes the stress out of it.”
Above all else, Coach Knight tries to make track and field enjoyable for each athlete. He has a deep passion for the sport, and he believes that his energy rubs off on the students.
“I try and help the [students] find their joy and passion for the sport. I want them to enjoy running, jumping, sprinting, and hurdling because if they don’t like it, they are not going to do it. Having this love for the sport is what I think has pushed them to the national level.”
Coach Knight shared that while he may set them up, it is the athletes who do all of the hard work.
For the first time, Grace will be represented at the Nike Track and Field Nationals Meet.
Although this is the first outdoor track and field Nationals Grace has attended, it is not the first track Nationals Grace has seen. Earlier this year, Herschel T. ‘28 and Daniel G. ’28 qualified for the Nike Nationals for indoor track and field and ran under Coach Knight’s club BioKnights. Similar to the other track qualifiers, these two students reached the national level under the guidance of Coach Knight.
The Nike Nationals take place in Oregon over the summer. They take place from June 19th to June 22nd.
Qualifying for even one event at Nationals is a major accomplishment, and the Grace team qualified for three: Girls’ 4 x 100, Boys’ 4 x 100, and the Mixed 4 x 400 (2 girls and 2 boys). Every high school in the nation is trying to meet these qualifying times, and only top scores make it.
In the Girls 4 x 100 race, the four students who qualified are Captain Hallie R. ‘25, Captain Chloe R. ‘26, Taylor G. ‘28, and Herschel T. ‘28. Their relay was accepted and they intend to attend the games on the 19th.
Taylor additionally qualified for the long jump at the Adidas Nationals.
In the Boys 4 x 100 race, the four students who qualified are Captain Owen A. ’25, Captain Wesley T. ‘25, Captain Jayanth C. ‘25, and Miles F. ‘27. They are still waiting to be accepted into the competition.
In the Mixed 4 x 400 race, the four students who qualified are Captain Wesley T. ‘25, Oscar P. ‘27, Captain Hallie R. ‘25, and Fiona M. ‘26. Unfortunately, the relay was not accepted, although they qualified provisionally.
Please look forward to Grace’s upcoming trip to nationals and wish the competing athletes good luck. Next year, The Gazette will update you all on the results of this exciting event!
Catherine Coulthard ‘27, the author, is a staff writer for The Grace Gazette.