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Grace Hafner: Press Democrat Athlete of the Week

By RICH RUPPRECHT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

It was quite a week for Sonoma Academy junior Grace Hafner, who experienced the thrill of 
victory not once, but twice. 

Hafner won the CMC cross country championship at Spring Lake on Thursday — her time of 
19:19 was the second fastest by a CMC girl on the course — and then celebrated with her 
teammates a NCS Class A soccer championship Saturday night.

“Both were pretty good,” said Hafner, who has played soccer since she was five and took up 
cross country in high school when the coach was looking for more runners.

“Grace plays right midfield and is always dangerous,” said soccer coach Chris Ziemer. 
“She works hard, has great speed and is just a great athlete.”

Hafner said she likes to push herself in sports and that has been the case in cross country. 
She qualified for state as a sophomore, just her second year after taking up the sport.

“Her speed and endurance is a big part of our attack,” Ziemer said. The NCS girls’ soccer 
title, capped by a 3-1 win vs. St. Vincent, was the first ever at Sonoma Academy.

Hafner, an excellent student, has busy afternoons. She practices with the soccer team and 
runs in meets. She plans a similar schedule in the spring when she’ll run track and play 
lacrosse.

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