GRACIE BURCKHARTZMEYER

WAGONER HIGH SCHOOL

“When I was little, I didn’t want to have anything to do with sweaty, contact sports so I was involved in cheer and gymnastics.”

But now Wagoner senior Gracie Burckhartzmeyer both sweats and makes contact as a part of the Bulldogs basketball team thanks to the urging of her mom who played basketball growing up.

“Once mom convinced me to give basketball a try in second grade, I loved it and then when I started playing travel ball around fourth grade, I  learned a lot about basketball and also playing against my two older brothers who were both big and tall and hammered me all the time, so I had to figure out how to score against them,” laughed Gracie who also runs track for the Bulldogs and is a member of the National Honor Society and FCCLA.

Wagoner coach Randi Pawpa discovered Gracie’s talents early on.

“She and my daughter Cambri are the same age and played together some so I’ve known Gracie since elementary school, and I could tell even then she would be a good player. She has really improved a lot since her freshman year. She runs the floor so well, has a quick first step and can get to the rim.”

But this past off-season has been a traumatic one for Gracie.

“Last April I suffered a knee injury early in my AAU season. The timing was so bad because it was a key time for me recruiting-wise. I felt like a lot of coaches forgot about me because I couldn’t play. But I got in with a good physical therapist and now I think I’m stronger than I was before the injury. The injury has affected how I approach this season since I haven’t played in eight months, and I’m rusty and a little tentative. But so far things have worked out all right.”

After receiving three college offers, Gracie recently committed to play at Grayson (Tex) College next year.

As one of six seniors on a team that was 21-6 last year, one of Gracie’s goals this year is to make it to the state tournament and toreach the 1000-point mark for her high school career.