Zach grew up in a family of athletes, with his mother playing Division 1 soccer and his brother playing Division 1 football, and he quickly grew to understand the importance of sports for personal development. In his freshman year of high school, Zach tried wrestling for the first time and earned a spot on the varsity squad. He soon realized how serious he wanted to take his athletics, and set his goal to be the first wrestler in school history to win a state championship.

 

By his junior year, Zach had earned All American status by placing 3rd at a national tournament. This success was followed by a series of injuries that culminated in a torn UCL and LCL at the state tournament. Despite the injuries, Zach fought his way to become the first wrestler in his school’s history to make the state finals, although he lost in the final seconds of the match by 2 points.

 

While his physical injuries were painful, the hardest part to overcome was understanding how to deal with falling short of his goal. Fortunately, a former high school wrestler and mentor who had been in Zach’ shoes a few years earlier guided him through the process of figuring out how to bounce back as a better wrestler and a more mature person. 

 

The following year, Zach suffered a season-ending concussion. While this meant that he would never achieve his ultimate goal of winning the state championship, he decided to make use of his extra time away from the mat.  Zach stepped up to mentor several younger wrestlers on his team, passing on the lessons he had learned through his own experiences. He taught them how to overcome nerves before matches, learn from film review, understand nutrition, and set goals that they could achieve. By the end of the season, one of Zach’s mentees became the second wrestler in his high school’s history to make the state finals. As a tribute to Zach's remarkable leadership and dedication, his school established the 'Heart of the Pride' award, which recognizes high school athletes who demonstrate exceptional character and elevate their peers through mentorship.