Army awaits distance star Zwiers
Timberlake distance runner Tyler Zwiers has some pretty big adventures ahead of him in 2006, both on the track and off.
There are high hopes for a state title in the 800 meters, the not-so-little business of high school graduation and a trip to Nevada to join the Army.
Ranked No. 1 in the state in the 800 among 3A athletes, Zwiers said the distinction is encouraging but doesn’t hold a lot of weight.
“I don’t really take that to heart much right now, because it’s still kind of early in the season and other people probably still haven’t run up to their potential because they haven’t had the competition,” Zwiers said. “Up until last week, I was running 2:07 by myself, and I couldn’t run any faster because I couldn’t get myself to do that. But once I had somebody to run with, I got myself to run a 2:02.
“I was kind of happy about that, a 5-second PR – I knew I could do it, but it’s kind of tough to do it by yourself.”
Zwiers, once the top Tiger in the distances, has had to make room for junior phenom Frank Lagrimanta, a transfer last year from Priest River and the State 3A cross country champ last fall.
But Zwiers said Lagrimanta’s addition – and competition – have been nothing but positive.
“It’s definitely helped me in practice, because we’re always running with each other, though this year we’re on kind of a different workout,” he said of Lagrimanta, who finished fifth, just ahead of Zwiers in the 3,200 at state a year ago. “But last year, we were almost competing at everything – even practice.
“And that really helps. It makes sure that you’re doing the practice as hard as you can.”
This summer, Zwiers is going to begin practice of a much different kind when he starts a career in the Armed Forces – Army intelligence, to be exact.
At least one portion of boot camp he won’t have to worry too much about is the 2-mile run.
“My recruiter was like, ‘I’m not even going to time you – you just run and I’ll count it good,” Zwiers said. “The pushups are probably going to be the hardest part, because my arms aren’t the biggest.
“My strength stops above my abs.”
That’s not entirely true, as Zwiers has a pretty strong crop of long black hair he’s been growing since a buzz cut he got as a freshman.
Come boot camp, though, it’s time to say adieu to the ‘do, too.