Wyoming Native Joins Women's XC, Track
Distance runner and varsity basketball player Grace Perkins becomes NWACC's first-ever athlete from the state of Wyoming
BENTONVILLE - NWACC Cross Country and Track and Field coaches Josphat Boit and Chris Weller announced the signing of Dayton, Wyo. native Grace Perkins Friday.
Perkins is slated to run cross country and distance events in track and field for the Eagles after graduating from Tongue River High School this spring.
"I think Northwest Arkansas will be a new experience because it's more populated and has more going on," Perkins said, "but it still seems to have that welcoming, community feel."
After picking up experience in sprint and mid-distance relays as well as the 800-meter run, the 1600-meter run and the 3200-meter run, Perkins will likely compete in a variety of running disciplines for NWACC Track and Field as well as the cross country program.
Perkins joins a track and field team currently in its second season and a cross country team seeking to win back-to-back NJCAA Region 2 Championships and improve on a program-record ninth place finish nationally in 2025. Despite the long move and pressure of integrating into a winning program with high expectations, Perkins found the atmosphere to be a positive one during her visit in March.
"The team and staff were very welcoming, and it made me feel comfortable right away," Perkins said. "I had a really great impression of the coaches and everyone I met on campus. [Coach Boit and Coach Weller] seemed genuinely invested in their athletes, not just in performance but in personal development."
A multi-sport athlete, Perkins was also a main contributor to Tongue River's basketball program, which ranked #25 in the state of Wyoming in 2025-26 according to MaxPreps.
The NWACC Track and Field team continues its 2026 season with the David Suernam Gorilla Classic April 4.
