Paul Van Grinsven competed for UW-Stout in cross country and track and field, competing at the national meet for both sports. Van Grinsven earned cross country all-region honors in 2014 and the Blue Devils advanced to the national meet. In track, he qualified to the outdoor national championship in 2014 and 2015, and in the in the indoor national championship in 2015. Van Grinsven finshed second nationally in the steeplechase in 2015. But a highlight for Van Grinsven was being able to compete alongside his younger brother, Joe, on the same cross country and track and field teams during the 2014-15 school year, something that did not happen in high school.