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YSU duo set to compete at NCAA Nationals
Zallow, Neu chase
All-America honors
By STEVE WILAJ
YOUNGSTOWN
Chad Zallow isn’t nervous.
Sure, once his 60-meter hurdle race at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships inside the Birmingham CrossPlex comes up this Friday, the Youngstown State freshman knows he’ll naturally have some butterflies.
But having recorded a time of 7.69 seconds (ranked fourth in the nation) already this season, why should the former Warren JFK standout be nervous?
“I’m pretty anxious to run, but nerves aren’t really there,” Zallow said. “It’s one of the biggest stages I’ve raced on in my life — but I’ve raced on big some stages before and like going on the big stage. “So it’s something I’m looking forward to and am more eager about than anything.”
When NCAA national competition takes place in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday and Saturday, Zallow will be just the second YSU runner to compete on the big stage in school history — the first coming in 2003 (Kurt Michaelis).
He’ll be joined by senior teammate Connor Neu — competing in the weight throw — as the two will make history as the first YSU duo ever to compete at the NCAA indoor meet. Neu, a Brook Park native, will be the second thrower in Penguins history to compete in the national competition (the other being Bobby Grace in 2012).
“It feels great,” said Neu, who transferred to YSU from Kentucky prior to the 2014 season. “I’ve had quite a bit of a struggle in my collegiate career, but ever since I’ve been in Youngstown, everything’s been OK.”
Everything was just fine for both YSU standouts at the Horizon League Indoor Championships on Feb. 27-28.
Neu, seeded 10th at the NCAA meet, won the weight throw title for the third straight year with a new conference record of 21.10 meters. Zallow won the 60-meter dash for the first time (7.84 seconds), while his prestigious mark and YSU-record 7.69 came at the Zips Invitational in early February.
“The 10 days have definitely been nice with recuperation — getting my legs back under me and resting,” said Zallow, who’s one of four athletes to run a 7.69 this year and is seeded seventh at the NCAA meet. “The last couple days I’ve just been working on speed and getting ready for the caliber of athletes I’m about to be against here at nationals.”
Said Neu: “Preparation between then and now has been trying to keep the body healthy and trying to stay fresh — just working a lot on technique. So when I show up at the big meet on Friday, I’ll be able to do what I’ve always been doing.”
Both are in position to earn All-American honors, as the top 16 finishers in each competition receive that tag. Finishers 9-16 get second-team honors, while 1-8 are named first-team All-Americans.
Neu believes he has a real chance to crack the top eight, while Zallow’s main goal is first-team.
“It’s definitely doable for me,” Zallow said. “So I’ll give it my all in the preliminary on Friday and then hopefully get in that final. And once I’m in that final, I’m gonna go for it all.
“The biggest thing for me will just be to execute in the race like I’ve been doing all season — just getting that good start — and not getting too psyched out. I just have to focus on myself and run the race I know I can run.”
If Zallow sticks to the plan, he’ll match previous YSU standout runner Michaelis in earning All-American honors. Neu is also trying to match Grace in becoming the second Penguins All-American thrower.
“Honestly, if I throw the way I’ve been throwing, I hopefully should be able to make it,” Neu said. “I definitely think I’ll have a better day at Nationals than I had in the past couple weeks.”