Zac Petrie collected his first big win at the Air Force Academy at this year's Air Force High School Indoor Open. Colorado Track XC file photo.
Zac Petrie's best marks:
400 meters - 49.54
600 meters - 1:23.39
800 meters - 1:52.24
5K cross country - 16:48.5
What sealed the deal for you for the Air Force Academy? Was the Academy a long-time dream of yours?
Attending the Air Force Academy has been a goal of mine since I was in the 5th grade. I was very flattered to be recruited by colleges with great running programs. The other top contenders were Arkansas with their great middle distance program and USC with their powerhouse track program. But after visiting those schools and the Air Force Academy I knew I wanted AFA. The excellent coaching staff at AFA and their middle distance runners helped seal the deal.
Do you hope to stay mostly at 800 meters for college, or are there other distances in view?
If anyone saw my 1600 last weekend they would tell me to stick to the 800! Luckily for me, Coach Benson sees me staying in the 800 for a couple years. I am a low (actually very low) mileage 800m runner, so I know I will need to add more mileage in college.
What is your intended course of study at the Academy?
I plan on majoring in management or political science and my ultimate goal is to attend flight school after graduation.
Your performances took a big leap between your junior and senior years? What all went into that?
First off, I finally got a growth spurt. You have probably all seen that kid on the start line at a xc meet who barely reaches the shoulder of the kid next to him. His singlet is the smallest size the school has and even that is held on with athletic tape or safety pins. That was me for the longest time. I have been running club track since I was 9 years old. I knew that if I could hang in there until I caught up with the other kids I could compete with them again. I was very lucky to train under the late Tony Wells. He took me to all the big meets for years so when my time finally came I would be ready to perform. My club coaches, Chris Turner and Chuck Dugue, really deserve enormous credit for my performances. Without them, I would not be where I am at right now. Their knowledge of the sport of track is amazing. Coach Kula and the entire Valor coaching staff have also been very helpful these last two years. Coach Coplen knew that I could help the XC team but my first focus was track. He was able to maintain my speed this fall during XC so I was able to start indoor racing in December. Finally it has just been truly giving 100% to track, not only during workouts but with nutrition, sleep, and everything else.
There have been a number of exciting races for you already in your senior year. If you had to pick a favorite experience from among them, what would it be?
The Arkansas High School Indoor Invitational in January has to top my list so far. Going into the race I was feeling pretty good about where my 500 and 600 times were. I knew the competition was going to be tough, but I was able to execute my dream race. I started out in the back of the pack and slowly moved up each lap. It wasn't until the final turn that I passed Robert Ford.
Do you have any particular goals in mind for the last month of your high school career?
There are several final goals for my last month. First off, helping Valor win the state meet. I love running the 4 x 400 and I think we have a shot at the 4A meet record this year. The 800 race at state should be a lot of fun. I have been racing William Mayhew for years, and he is a great runner! I think we will bring out the best in each other. My last meet will probably be the New Balance National Championship in June. After running 1:52 last week in California, I really felt like I could do more and would love to shoot for sub 1:50 at Nationals.
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Zac Petrie is one of Colorado's most-traveled track athletes, but in these last three weeks of the outdoor season, we should get a couple chances to see him run, starting tomorrow evening at the St. Vrain Invitational.
