Kelly hurdler Ethan Graham signs with St. Louis T&F

What started as one small hurdle has turned into a giant leap into the Division I ranks.

Kelly senior Ethan Graham signed his letter of intent to run track at St. Louis University on Friday, March 22, in Benton, Mo.

“I always dreamed of going to a school like this,” Graham said. “All my life, I put in the work, and it’s super exciting.”

Graham will join a Billikens squad that features Cape Girardeau native Evan Bruenderman, who recently won the Atlantic-10 indoor championship in the triple jump with a mark of 15.27 meters, establishing a school record. The Notre Dame alum is someone Graham has looked up to and is excited to be competing with him in a conference packed with major metro private colleges.

“I’m going to compete with some of the biggest names in the Atlantic-10,” Graham said. “It’s a special conference.”

College track seemed inevitable for Graham after he dominated the field in the 110-meter hurdles, winning every race he competed in and setting the Kelly school record in the event. He visited numerous NAIA programs but his path to St. Louis started with an inquiry on his part.

“I reached out to SLU, saying I would like to go on a visit, see if I can make it,” Graham said.

Graham was originally a distance runner when he first joined the Kelly track program. After running in the 800-meter event, It didn’t take long for him and the coaching staff to realize that a position change was in order.

“We found out real fast that this was not it,” Graham said.

Graham identified early on that while he was a better sprinter than a distance runner, he wasn’t quite fast enough to win races against elite competition. Success in the hurdles was his way of closing the speed gap between himself and the rest of the competition.

“If I can get the technique down then I can be a good hurdler because I have the speed,” Graham said. “I just needed the technique to outrun all those hurdlers.”

Graham runs in the 110m and 300m hurdles as well as competes in the 4x400m relay. He said that his favorite event is the one where he is a record holder.

“The 110’s are my baby and I love them so much,” Graham said.

Graham bulked up over the offseason, spending every day in the weight room working on plyometrics. With his future secured, the new and improved Graham still has something to chase in his final high school season.

“I want to shatter that record and maybe even break the 300m,” Graham said.