NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Rising senior Lucija Grd (Zagreb, Croatia) has been elected captain of the Yale women's track and field team for the 2026-27 season. A sprinter/hurdler, Grd was chosen via a team vote.
 
Grd, a sprinter/hurdler, expressed her gratitude for being chosen. 
 
"I just want to say how truly privileged and grateful I am," said Grd. "First, to be a part of this amazing team, and second, to be selected as a captain. It truly holds a lot of weight for me. I've worked incredibly hard to grow as both a person and an athlete, and being recognized in this way is something I don't take lightly." 
 
For Grd, who has overcome injury to become a school record-holder in multiple events, the opportunity to lead the team is also an opportunity to give back.
 
"There were moments, especially during my freshman year when I was injured and watching from the sidelines, where I questioned whether I truly belonged," said Grd. "But this team never let me feel that way. They lifted me up, and now I get the honor of doing the same for others. I promise to give everything I have to this team, not just in competition, but every single day in practice, and in the moments in between. We have something really special here as a team, and I genuinely believe our best days are still ahead of us. I can't wait to experience them together."
 
This past season Grd earned a pair of team awards – the James Stack '61 Award as MVP and the Lee Calhoun Award as the most outstanding member of the sprints and hurdles group. She was the Ivy League Champion in the 60m hurdles indoors, setting the school record with her time of 8.29. Indoors she was also part of Yale's No. 2 all-time 4x400m relay performance (3:41.43). Outdoors, she set the school record in the 100m hurdles (13.43) and was part of the school-record performance in the 4x100m relay (45.41). Outdoors she was also part of relays that rank fifth (4x400m, 3:41.36) and sixth (4x100m, 46.18) in school history.
 
Grd mentions the 2025 edition of the Ivy League Indoor Heps Championships as a memorable moment in her Yale career. 
"It was the first Heps meet with our new coaching staff, and my first time experiencing Heps since I had been injured my freshman year," said Grd. "The intensity, energy and sportsmanship we brought to that competition were just amazing. The relays were so fun and electric to watch, and I had already lost my voice on the first day and I hadn't even competed yet! I think that was my most memorable moment because it was the first time I truly felt we showed what kind of team we are and the future we have ahead of us."
 
Grd is part of a rising senior class that also includes Alexandra Bonn (Westfield, N.J.), Hebe Chadwick (Delft, Netherlands), Priya Gangadharan (Austin, Texas), Gloria Guerrier (West Hempstead, N.Y.), Victoria Guerrier (West Hempstead, N.Y.), Daniella Henderson (Palo Alto, Calif.), Lola Isom (Dallas, Texas), Juliette Kosmont (Monterey, Calif.), Emma Peretti (Hammonton, N.J.) and Sophie Spokes (San Francisco, Calif.). 
 
The Bulldogs have made dramatic strides during that class' time here. The team's indoor Heps point totals in the past two seasons (54.0 points each year) are two of the three highest scores the team has had since scoring 85.0 points and finishing second in 2006. At Outdoor Heps, the team's point total this past season (48.0) tied for its best score since 2007 (71.0 points). 

An electrical engineering major, Grd is taking two Yale courses this summer. She is also competing for the Croatian national team. 
 
Grd is a graduate of Vladimir Prelog Science School.