Written by Lexie Hunter – Newspaper Staff Reporter

Grayson Smith is a 10th grader at Allatoona on varsity cross country. He has been running cross country since the 7th grade. He thinks he has been chosen for athlete of the week because “I’ve had a rough season and was injured for a while and started to come back into the sport working hard and proving it when I compete.” Coach Parsons says, “Grayson Smith had a great 9th-grade year last year and is coming into his own his sophomore season. Grayson has had some ups and downs with injuries but seems to finally be in a good spot and working hard to contribute to Allatoona Running.” Grayson’s favorite high school memory so far is the reward of his new personal best. His advice to younger runners is to “trust the journey because the sport is full of ups and downs and to surround yourself with people who are going to help you elevate rather than go down.”