“I’m third in the nation for the 500 meter and I placed third in states last year for the 800 meter,” Zach Kindel (‘19) said.

Zack Kindel, Forge sophomore is the third fastest runner in his event in the nation.

“When I found out, it was 10 minutes after I finished. Coach Jackson came up to me and gave me a hug and said ‘You’re number 3 in the nation!’ It was hard to believe, but it will probably be something I never forget,” Kindel said.

Kindel is one of the top runners in the nation, according to MileStat.

“My time is 1:04.15 for the 500m in indoor. And then last year I ran a 1:54 800m and a 49 400m in outdoor,” Kindel said.

Kindel started running when he was six years old because of his dad.

“At first my dad put me in it just for exercise and then once I figured out that I could have a future in it, it became a usual thing,” Kindel said.

He did not really enjoy it at first but as time went on, he realized he was good at it and he could do something with it in the future.

“It’s hard to really like running but it gives me something I can excel in. More than that, I like being with the team and seeing everyone else do well,” Kindel said.

Now, he’s very serious about running and hopes to have a future in track. His inspiration is his grandfather who ran track in his high school years and challenged Kindel to be the best he could be.

“To stay in shape for the track season, football does the job. Then I’ll just run some distance in the summer to keep my endurance where it needs to be. I usually try to do another workout once or twice a week on top of practice. It ends up being plyometrics or a core workout of some sort,” Kindel said.

In addition to working out and exercising, Kindel keeps a healthy diet to stay in shape.

“My diet is one of a regular teenage boy, but lately I have been trying to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables along with a lot of carbs,” Kindle says.

This not only helps him stay in shape but it also helps his body be prepared for a track meet. Kindel does other things to help him feel prepared for meets.

“My preparation usually starts two days before with me carb loading so I basically eat a lot of pasta and bread to give me energy for the race. Then I just focus on what I need to do and sometimes listen to some music,” Kindel said.

This preparation and practice led Kindel to be the third fastest in the 500 meter. He would like to continue to do this and potentially pursue this as a career one day. Kindel hopes to one day make it to the Olympics. 

“I would really like to continue running track in college and maybe even professionally if I am lucky enough to receive that opportunity,” Kindel said.

Kindel is working to reach his goals. He most recently got nominated as athlete of the year.

“I just got nominated for it by a track website-company thing and the voters decide who the finalists are,” Kindel said.