Grace Aggen turns injury setback into school record

Two years ago, senior thrower Grace Aggen suffered an ACL injury during her sophomore year. 

She spent the following months rehabilitating and working to regain the strength needed to compete again. The injury forced her to return to the basics and focus on consistency, challenging her to heal physically while staying mentally committed to her team.  

“It made me appreciate being able to do stuff with my body because it’s easy to forget how much your body does for you,” Aggen said.

During her recovery, Aggen said improvement — and giving her all at every practice and competition — began to mean more than winning.

“In the back of my head, I wanted to get my name on the board,” Aggen said. “But how I approach practice and competition is trying to beat myself. It’s such an individual sport, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of always being first place or always having that record.”

That mindset shift paid off this season. 

After returning to competition, Aggen added eight feet to her pre-injury personal record and began prioritizing shot put. While focused on improving her own marks, she steadily closed in on Lehigh’s women’s shot put record of 14.52, set by Teasha McKoy, ‘22.

“The records are posted in Rauch so we see them every day before practice,” Aggen said. “I was always aiming for the discus record — I never thought I could beat the shot record.”

On Jan. 17, the Mountain Hawks traveled to the University of Pennsylvania for the Quaker Invitational. With her family in attendance, Aggen said she felt steady, hitting her technical cues and feeling confident.

On her first throw, she threw the shot 14.77 meters — breaking the school record and surpassing her previous personal best of 14.22 meters.  

“I could see where it landed, and it wasn’t certain, but I had in my head what I was expecting, and it was really special,” Aggen said.  

The throw ranks No. 64 in Division I this season and No. 74 in the NCAA overall.

Aggen followed the record-breaking performance with another strong showing against Lafayette College on Jan. 31, placing fourth in the weight throw with a 13.29-meter release.

First-year Avery Hogan said Aggen’s presence has had a strong impact on her and the rest of the team. 

“She works really hard,” Hogan said. ”Seeing her work makes me want to work just as hard as her so hopefully one day I can get just as good as she is.”

Sophomore Maddie Hussey said she values Aggen not only as a teammate, but as a mentor.

“She’s always willing to give advice, watch your throws, or help you in the weight room,” Hussey said. “I’d say that definitely helps the rest of us grow as well. She’s always willing to help everyone out.”

Aggen said she was aware of the doubt that surfaced throughout her return to competition but credited her coaches and teammates for guiding her through the long recovery. She said the experience reshaped her perspective as an athlete.

With graduation approaching, Aggen has balanced her athletic commitments with leadership roles in the broader athletic community. She’s involved in Flight 45’s Emerging Leaders program and the Cathy Engelbert LEAD Scholars program, which supports and develops female athletes on campus.

Outside of athletics, Aggen participated in the Uganda Sustainable Livelihoods Program and spent two months in rural Uganda conducting research last summer. 

She said managing those commitments has required discipline and intentionality.

“I’ve become very anti-phone,” Aggen said. “I’ve tried to focus a lot more on creating instead of consuming. So in my free time I knit and scrapbook and read. Instead of draining and adding mental memories, it allows me to kind of recharge in a way where I am able to manage everything.”

As her collegiate career concludes in May, Aggen said she’ll remember the people more than the records. She said she doesn’t expect to recall her exact marks decades from now but will carry with her the impact of the coaches and the Flight 45 staff who shaped her experience.

Her teammates believe her impact will last.

“She’s done amazing things, so she’s already left a great and lasting mark on me — I’m guessing it’s going to leave a mark on everyone else,” Hogan said.