Once more, Garfield's Jesse Grace saves his best for last, committing to Western Kentucky

The “Heart Attack Kid” developed a reputation over the years of saving his best throws for last, earning his nickname by frequently keeping his coaches and parents in great suspense.

Well, Jesse Grace did it one last time for Garfield.

After saving his best throw for last in Columbus, a toss that sent him skyrocketing from eighth to third in the Division II state shot put, his college commitment came down to the wire as well.

Just this week, the Garfield senior announced his commitment to Western Kentucky University.

Grace's college process had its share of stress, as a tough junior season pushed his decision into his final months with the G-Men. Ultimately, Grace came up clutch yet again, landing a spot at a Division I university in a mountainous, rural setting — just the way Grace likes it.

“[Coach Jim] Pfleger told me a long time ago that it's going to take a while to all come together, and I should have listened to him when I was there,” Grace said. “I started to worry a little bit and then it all ended up coming together.”

Jesse Grace battles through tough junior year

Grace's concern was understandable.

After a breakout sophomore season that included a 159-3 in the discus and marks around 45 feet in the shot, Grace didn't PR at all as a junior.

“I kept trying to tell him and his mom; they were a little nervous about it," Pfleger said of Grace's college search. "But I'm like, ‘Hey, with the transfer portal and your junior year not finishing the way you wanted to, you're probably going to wait a little bit. It's probably going to be more of a waiting game.'"

Grace's senior year proved curative. After another great football season, including 70 tackles (17 for loss), Grace built his confidence throughout indoor track.

“He was right around 49 to 50 feet all year indoors,” Pfleger said. “For indoors, that's all we're kind of looking for is just a little consistency. Get out there and compete, and I think that's what really paid off. [He] got some confidence going to outdoors and he knocked off a couple of kids right off the bat that were ranked pretty high in the state in the shot.”

From the discus at Garfield to a shot at Western Kentucky

Grace was back on track.

But the senior had also switched tracks, so to speak.

For most of his career, Grace projected as a discus thrower, with his slender build and impressive athleticism. Entering his senior year, Grace put on a ton of muscle, and it became increasingly clear that the discus might not be his top event anymore.

“I remember telling him about midway through this season, I was like, ‘You think you're a discus thrower, but I think you're going to be a better shot-putter by the time it's all said and done,’" Pfleger said. "I guess I was right for once."

Indeed, it was the shot that caught Western Kentucky's eye, Pfleger said, with videos from the Wildcat and Poland invitationals generating responses from college coaches within minutes.

Winthrop College, which showed early interest in Grace, and Western Kentucky emerged as favorites, with Grace choosing the Hilltoppers.

“I really like the people down there,” Grace said. “Everybody's super nice and the scenery is beautiful down there and they've got some pretty darn good food on top of their great facilities."

Once in Bowling Green, Grace appears penciled in for the shot put, but his greatest potential might well be in the hammer and weight throws.

“On top of the shot, I really think and we've kind of been telling him all along, we thought he was going to be a really good weight and hammer thrower in college,” Pfleger said. “The coach in Western Kentucky has coached some really good hammer throwers in the past."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Garfield's Jesse Grace saves best for last, chooses Western Kentucky