Zachary Minor '20 Recruiting Profile

I immediately set a goal for the 2019 season – I’m going to be the fastest sprinter on my team and I’m going to compete in the State Championship. To achieve my goal, I created a plan.  First, I researched and studied how Olympic-class athletes train, eat and run. Next, I worked with a nutritionist to determine the calories and nutrients I need to support muscle development and continuous practice.  Finally, I created a workout plan that focused on the muscles that would enhance my strength and speed. I implemented my plan and stuck with it for the next 8 months. Seeing results took time, but they eventually came. At many points my mind was plagued with doubts. Would all my work be for nothing?  Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and then it was track season again. On the first day of practice, I knew my speed had increased dramatically and so did the Coach and my teammates. I felt good, but had I improved enough to reach my goal?

The first race of the season – today I would find out whether my plan had paid off.  I took my lane. The official gave the “Set!” command followed by a shot. I was running and loving it!  By the 80 meter mark, I started pulling away from the other runners. I finished first in my heat with a time of 11.53 second – that was a reduction of .7 seconds!  It was a remarkable improvement, but I wasn’t satisfied. I hadn’t beat the fastest sprinter on our team and I wouldn’t make it to State with an 11.53 second race. 

I practiced hard, but didn’t see any meaningful improvement until the qualifying race for the Sub District Tournament. I flew off the blocks and got an 11.28 seconds. I was 3rd overall going into the finals and I was closing in on the fastest guy on my team. The next day, as I waited for the final race to start, I knew I would win the race. The starter barked “Sweats Off! Runners to their Mark!” This is my moment, “SET!” and a gunshot ripples through the air.  I’m running and a group breaks away from the pack -- me and two other kids. A guy in a red shirt tries to pull ahead, but I’m faster. I make my move and it’s over in a flash of red. Wait, what happened? Did Red beat me? It was really close and I wasn’t sure who crossed the line first until the scoreboard changed and I saw: #1 Zachary Minor, Sammamish High School, 11.01! I was dumbfounded. My team looked at me as if they didn’t know me. Not only was this a personal best for me, my 11.01 broke the school record for the 100 meter sprint, beat the fastest guy on my team and secured my ticket to State. Goal accomplished! Looking back at my goal and my plan, even I wouldn’t have guessed that I would drop 1.2 seconds off my best time.  Now entering senior year I am continuing to train to reach my goal of 10.6 and a better placing at state next season.