When Katie Gruys texted Oregon head coach Kelly Graves last week asking for a job reference at the Eugene Country Club, it took everything he had not to break the news to Gruys.
No need for Gruys to fret about finding a summer job to help pay for groceries, Graves thought.
After practice on May 18, Graves gathered the team and announced that the program was awarding Gruys a scholarship for her senior season.
Gruys was shocked.
“You always see those things on (ESPN) SportsCenter,” Gruys said. “But I never thought it would actually be me.”

A special moment after practice today. @GoDucksKG was able to award a scholarship to walk-on @watchK8! #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/4ZZUDjVNSQ
— Oregon Ducks WBB (@OregonWBB) May 18, 2015

Right after the announcement, all Gruys’ teammates embraced her. For a walk-on, Gruys has made a significant impact to the program, forward Jillian Alleyne said.
“Katie has been here since the bare beginnings,” Alleyne said. “For her to get a scholarship, we know how much it meant to her and her family.”
Gruys received an outpouring of support from fans, friends and family who were happy to see her efforts rewarded.
She’ll be able to take summer classes instead of working this summer, helping her earn her degree on time.
Gruys, a native of Maple Lake, Minnesota, joined the team in the middle of the 2012 season. Then head coach Paul Westhead needed bodies on the team after a blast of injuries. At the time, Gruys was a preferred walk-on with the Ducks track and field team, but gave it up to play basketball.
“It’s nice to earn it,” Gruys said. “It just shows that hard work does pay off. But, the memories that I’ve made with this team are priceless. I would’ve done it without the scholarship.”
Since then, she’s held a variety of jobs to help pay for out-of-state tuition. Her current job as a lifeguard at the Student Recreation Center forces her to work early in the morning, then return late at night. In between, she made time for classes and basketball.
“It’s a huge weight off her shoulders,” Alleyne said. “It’s going to be a great (senior) year for her.”
For Graves, the decision was easy. He wanted to recognize Gruys’ hard work in the past couple of years. Graves said she’s the team’s hardest working student athlete in the weight room.
“She’s always in there early,” Graves said. “She’s earned it, no question about it.”
Graves hopes Gruys can continue to be a role model for the program’s incoming class of freshmen and transfer student athletes.
“It’s a memory that I’ll remember forever with my teammates and my coaches,” Gruys said of Monday’s announcement.
Gurys talked to her mom right after practice, but decided to surprise her dad with the video later on in the day.
“It’s just rewarding to see someone who’s put in the time and work without gaining anything back except the love of a program be rewarded for what she’s done for us,” Alleyne said.

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne