Zack Akey spent four years with the Rochelle Township High School track and field program, and one of his fondest memories took place his sophomore season, when he prepared to set a new personal record in the pole vault at the Northern Illinois Invitational.
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Zack Akey spent four years with the Rochelle Township High School track and field program, and one of his fondest memories took place his sophomore season, when he prepared to set a new personal record in the pole vault at the Northern Illinois Invitational.
Akey entered the meet with a personal-best clearance of only 7 feet. He would clear that mark by a wide margin at the Northern Illinois meet, however, vaulting over the 8-foot-6-inch height, which wound up as his best performance throughout his time with the Hubs. While he wasn’t able to compete this season, Akey said he’s thankful for his experience at RTHS.
“Being on the track team, when I was off the field, I definitely learned that family matters more than anything.” Akey said. “Blood or not blood, my teammates come first. The thing I probably enjoyed the most about doing track is definitely the team bonding aspect of the sport, even though most people look at it like an individual activity.”
Akey competed in a variety of events with the Hubs including the 100-meter dash, where he set a personal record with a time of 12.87 seconds in the NIB-12 Conference Championships in 2018. Akey recorded multiple personal-best times as a freshman in 2017, when he ran his top 200-meter, 400-meter and 1600-meter times of 27.86, 1:01.47 and 6:05.07, respectively.
Akey participated in six different individual events for the RTHS team, and he was a frequent contributor in the 1600-meter relay as an upperclassman. After high school, Akey said he plans to become an electrician and he learn welding so he can open his own custom exhaust shop.
“The thing I improved as an athlete at RTHS is definitely my mental discipline and preparing for the next thing to become better at what I do,” Akey said. “Some of my favorite moments from my time with the track team were the sectional meet my junior year. As an upperclassman, that is usually when you see people start to shine and perform among the best, and to see my friends and people I know perform at the state level is something I will never forget.”
