Zack Smith is a senior at Downers Grove North High School. He recently took 3rd place at the Illinois 3A State cross country championship in Peoria on November 9th and led his team to a 2nd Place finish. This past weekend he finished 5th at Nike Midwest in Terre Haute, IN to earn a trip to Portland in early December for a chance to run against some of the best in the country. He also made a verbal commitment to run next year for Jake Stewart at the University of Illinois.
According to John Sipple (head boys cross country coach at Downers Grove North), “Zack is without question the most competitive athlete I have had the pleasure to coach. He does not want to lose. He is an outstanding individual that has tremendous dedication in the classroom and he is equally committed to his training. He is a kid with a solid character, who expects a lot from himself and is respected by his peers. He is genuinely more excited by his teammates accomplishments than his own.”
Zack, what sports did you play growing up?
Growing up, I played a lot of different sports. I played hockey, baseball, and basketball mainly, and cross country was always kind of an afterthought.
At what point did you realize you were a decent runner?
I guess I didn’t really realize I was a good runner until my freshmen year. I trained with the high school guys all summer and was able to stick with them, and then I made the top 7 for the first meet. Since I had run at a Catholic middle school, I wasn’t really sure how I would stack up against the public school kids going into high school, so it was really at that point that I realized I had some potential.
Do you come from an athletic family?
My dad would tell you that he was athletic in his high school days (I find that hard to believe). He played football at Washington High School down in central Illinois. Obviously I was kidding before and I know that he was a very good running back for them his junior and senior year and his heart is with his hometown this week. I have one brother who is a sophomore in high school, and, unfortunately he decided not to run. He plays hockey and baseball.
What about your team?
My team is awesome. We are small but mighty. We only had about 40 guys on the team this year, but I could not have asked for better teammates and coaches throughout my four years at DGN. We work really hard as a team every day and are very motivated, but we mess around a pretty good amount too, which I think helps to keep us loose during the week and not think too much about big races. My teammates are my motivation every day because I see how hard they all work and I have so much respect for what they do. The team placing 2nd at state this year can solely be attributed to the hard work all of my teammates put in as well as some fantastic coaching. I have been lucky enough to form great friendships with guys on the team over the years that I know will stick with me forever.
What were your goals coming into your senior xc season?
Coming into this fall, I was really focused on the team. We had not made it to state as a team since my freshmen year, so our focus was to get down there again this year. We definitely talked about a trophy early on, but did not really focus too much on that again until the week of state. We all knew that we could do it, and we were able to put all of the pieces together on the right day. A lot of guys stepped up big for us. Individually, I was extremely happy with 3rd place because I only scored two points for the team. If you had told me in August that I was going to finish top 3, I probably would have called you crazy. It is an honor to finish in the top 3 in the state of Illinois.
What is your track goal?
Going into this track season, I am still unsure about what I will run at the state meet. Time wise, I know that I want to break 9 minutes in the 3200 and 4:10 in the 1600. I would be very happy if I was able to accomplish that. Obviously there are so many great runners in Illinois and it will not be easy, but I would definitely love to get a state title in track this year, whether it be the 3200 or 1600. Finishing well in both the 3200 and 1600 and scoring a good chunk of points for the team would be an ideal end to my senior year.
Have you had any significant injuries that kept you from running?
Until this summer, I had been pretty lucky with injuries. Unfortunately, I suffered a hip injury on my first day of training for the upcoming cross country season. It kept me out all of June and July, and I was pretty unsure about whether or not I would even be able to run this season. I really stepped up the physical therapy in early August and just started running through the pain. Luckily, it slowly got better, and has gotten to a point now where I rarely notice it.
What other schools did you consider for college?
I also looked at Notre Dame, Virginia, and Michigan. I ended up cancelling my visit to Michigan because I knew Illinois was the place for me.
(Smith with Coach John Sipple and Jill Blondell at NXN Midwest In Terre Haute, IN)
What was it that made you decide the Illini was the right fit?
Definitely just the guys on the team and Coach Stewart. I really felt a connection with the team, and I think team chemistry is a huge part of success. Coach Stewart made it clear to me that he wanted me down there from the start, and his commitment to me throughout the past year has been incredible. I thought that was pretty special and I did not want to miss out on the transformation that is happening with our program. I also love the fact that I will be able to run for my home state! I am very excited to represent Illinois at the University of Illinois.
Which Illini runners did you click with during your visit?
The coolest part about the team down at Illinois was that I basically had idolized all of the guys on the team down there in my early high school years. I recognized most of them just from watching them race in the past. It is pretty sweet to say that they will all be my teammates now. When I visited I stayed with Garrett Lee and Joe Cowlin, and I clicked really well with them. They were awesome hosts.
In an ideal world, which of your competitors would you like to see at Illinois?
Ideally, every top runner in the state would be down at Illinois with me because there are so many great runners in this state. Unfortunately, that is not possible, but I would still love to have a few more down with me. I am very excited that Luke (Luke Schroer, Wheaton Warrenville South) is already committed to Illinois as well.
What did you think about the course at Terre Haute?
The course at Terre Haute was awesome. Difficult conditions are what cross country is all about, and it made the race that much more fun. I love battling through tough conditions on the course because I think that it really separates the mentally tough from those who are not as mentally tough. The course did not set up well for fast times, but that did not matter. Terre Haute was a perfect test for some of the best runners in the Midwest. It is also pretty cool to be able to race at the course where division 1 nationals will be held the following week.
Did you run any different due to the weather/wind?
I really did not have too much of a strategy going into the race. I really just wanted to go out there and run as fast as I could. Obviously I did not want to deal with the wind so I tried to draft off of other runners as much as possible to avoid that. The pace was probably a lot more conservative due to the conditions. I really just focused on hanging on to the top five runners, and was able to chase a few guys down on the final stretch.
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Nike Nationals in Portland?
I am very excited to race the best runners in the country out in Portland in a few weeks. That will be a really humbling experience for me as well as a great learning experience as I move forward in my career. I am also really excited to spend time with all of the Midwest guys and also to get to know runners from around the country. It will be pretty cool to build on the friendships I have made through running outside of the state of Illinois. Nike Nationals will definitely be a great experience for me, and it is a weekend that I could not be more excited about.
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