May 19, 2007

ATTLEBORO SUN CHRONICLE: GREIGRE OFF AND RUNNING
(this article appeared in Saturday's The Sun Chronicle) 

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - He is a blur.

A Bombardier by foundation, a Bulldog by uniform, Hafiz Greigre has become one of the nation's best collegiate sprinters, in any division - I, II, III.

Greigre became the Northeast 10 Conference's Track Athlete of the Year, winning both the 100- and 200-meter sprint in representing Bryant University at the championship meet.

Then, Greigre became the New England Intercollegiate Track Association champion in the 400-meter sprint last weekend at Dartmouth College, a gathering of the elite track athletes from all divisions of the six-state region.

Not only is Greigre bound for the NCAA Division II National Championship Meet next weekend in Charlotte, N.C., the Attleboro High School graduate is a Dean's List student, a business management major, who recently completed a seven-course load spring semester with a perfect 4.0 grade index.

"I have more focus," said Greigre after a workout earlier this week on the track surface of Bishop Feehan High's McGrath Stadium, under the watchful eye of former Shamrock track coach and current Bryant running coach Rick Brown.

"Last year when I went to the nationals, I didn't place, I was dead last in the 200," said Greigre, who from that moment on understood what it took to compete at the elite, national level, to have the seeds for an Olympic Games opportunity planted.

The former Bombardier is currently ranked No. 4 nationally among the nation's collegiate 400-meter sprinters with a season-best time of 46.37 seconds and he is ranked No. 9 nationally among the fleet-footed 200-meter sprinters with a clocking of 21.02 seconds.

At the New England Championship Meet, Greigre clocked a 46.37 second time to win the 400-meter run, taking first place by an unfathomable two-second margin.

And Greigre also placed second in the 200-meter run, equaling the meet-record time of 21.09 seconds and anchored the fourth place 4x100 relay team, which shattered the Bryant record with a time of 41.75 seconds.

"The weight room, the competition, my teammates, coach Brown, I've been doing some good things," added Greigre.

At the Northeast 10 Conference Championship Meet May 5 in Lowell, Greigre electrified the crowd by winning the 100-meter dash (10.82 seconds) and then clocking a season-best time of 21.53 in winning the 200-meter sprint.

If that wasn't enough, Greigre just so happened to rewrite the Bryant record in the long jump, taking second place with a leap of 23-feet.

And Greigre not only then anchored the Bulldogs' first place 4x400 meter relay team, his burst of speed resulted in another Bryant record in the event at 3:22.

"He had a lot of natural talent and he's developed a work ethic," said Brown, putting Greigre through a workout. "He's such a hard-working kid, he's so focused, he has the talent to qualify for the Olympic trials."

Greigre qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship Meet, taking fourth place in the 400, while also qualifying in the 55-meter sprint and gaining All-America status.

As quick as Greigre is in the shorter sprints, it is the medium distance sprints such as the 400 that he has excelled.

Why?

"Because he can maintain his speed," said Brown. "He's not just a long sprinter. We did a lot of powerlifting with him, he works out like a football player.

"Last year at the national meet indoors, that sort of opened his eyes of what he had to do.

"At that New England Meet, you kind of look over your shoulder to see where you are coming down the straightaway and there was no one near him and he shut it down coming in. Just like in the trials of the 200, in which he had a 21.18 second time, he was so far ahead, he shut it down."

Greigre has run only three 400-meter races this spring, including taking first place the first time that he ran it, a 47.31 time at the Brown University Invitational. "We believe he can go faster, I mean in the 45's (seconds)," added Brown.

Greigre attended Wheaton College upon graduating from AHS, but elected to leave before his freshman year ever ended. Other than some invitational meets that he entered as an individual, Greigre missed a whole year of competition.

When he became a Bulldog, he weighed 158 pounds and was running 49-second 400s. Now Greigre weighs in at a finely chiseled 174 pounds. Now in his third season at Bryant, his name is all over the Bulldog record book.

And he has flourished academically. "I took seven courses this spring (he is two courses shy of graduating). I had it spaced out, but it was still crazy," said Greigre of scheduling his four-day academic week with three days of track workouts.

Greigre wanted to shatter the 46-second mark in the 400 at the New England Meet, "but I didn't want to push it because I still had the 200 to run," he continued. "I wanted to run well in the 200 too. The 200 is pure speed, I don't have it. I was trying, but I don't think I put as much into it (the 400) to save myself for the other races.

"In the 200, I wanted to go for 20 seconds, but it was a long two days with the relays too. I'm happy though, everything fell into place."

Greigre will return to Bryant in the fall and complete his undergraduate studies, while also having one season of eligibility remaining to run indoor track. After that, he might be invited to the Olympic Trials, either as an American or for Liberia. "I feel like I'm getting there," he offered.

And Greigre got to be ranked in the Top 10 nationally in two events because of the preparation that he received at Attleboro High as a student-athlete and where, on the track surface at Tozier-Cassidy Field, he works out religiously through the summer months.

"I am true blue," blurted out the former Bombardier. "I'm a Bombardier by heart, I would never trade my experiences at Attleboro High for anything."

PETER GOBIS may be contacted at 508-236-0375 or via e-mail at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com