Track & Field | 05/23/2018

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With the NCAA West Preliminary this weekend, GoVandals.com will be talking with all three Vandals before they make their way to Sacramento.  Next up is Zachary Short.
 
Short will compete in the shot put on Saturday at 4 p.m. and is making his first appearance at the NCAAs.  After winning both the indoor and outdoor Big Sky Championship in the event, Short is ready to take on the best of the best at the national stage.
 
Idaho track and field has a storied and rich history.  From conference championships to All-America honors, NCAA champions to Olympic Gold Medalists, the program has seen it all.  To make it into the Idaho record books is something to be celebrated.
 
To make it into the Idaho record books in a throwing event?  Somehow that's even more remarkable.  And that's what Zachary Short did this season in the shot put.
 
He won the shot put at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships in Moscow just two weeks ago, Idaho's 20^th conference championship in the event in program history.  It wasn't his first time stepping on the podium, as he also took home the gold at the Indoor Championships just months before.
 
"I think outdoor, the difference was I only had two meets early on.  They were pretty positive and then I had an injury, which kind of tested me, my patience and my mental toughness," Short commented. "Just going through that adversity, slowing things down and working on different things helped me when I came to conference. That was nice to have both those indoor/outdoor championships. I did it in different ways, but got the same result, so it just gives me a lot of confidence moving forward."
 
Adversity has been commonplace for Short.  After sustaining an injury as a senior in high school, Short was forced to miss most of his final season of interscholastic competition.  But he bounced back, and with the help of his new coach, has thrived at Idaho.
 
"I think the biggest thing with Zack is that he's really humble with the people he competes with, and they respect him for that," said Jason Fearheiley, assistant coach for the throws.  "Being able to go in there and battle through the up-and-downs showed a lot."
 
"Jason always puts everything into perspective and says, 'Hey, you're working on this. You're doing a really good job of fixing this and that's totally what we want, we just want to focus on that.' You can't worry about the end of your throw if you're working on the beginning of it," Short added. "Putting things into perspective and breaking things down, he's really good at it. Also, being positive and making things not feel like we're out here working at a job, making things fun.
 
"I think we've worked well this year. In high school, my coach was knowledgeable, but it was a lot of the basics.  But Jason's been way more specific and knowledgeable about throwing.  I think the better you get, the smaller changes and smaller adjustments make the difference. I think he's getting very specific with me and it's been helping a lot honestly."
 
It certainly has.  Short now sits in eighth in program history in the event, trailing a couple of legends.  The guy at the top of the list, you may have heard of.  Joachim Olsen dominated the Big West for Idaho from 1999-2002, winning the shot put all four seasons.  His successes carried over to the National Championships, where he medaled four times, including winning it all in 2000.
 
Now it's Short's turn on the national stage, taking on the NCAA West in Sacramento.  And as always, he's ready to take things one step at a time.
 
"I think it'll be great just to see how the meet is run as far as heat sizes, just everything that goes along with first round experience," said Short.  "I just want to do as well as I can, control what I can control and trust my training; just go in and do my best. Whatever happens, happens."
 
As for Short's place in history?
 
"I know the top three are really, really up there, but I definitely want to keep climbing and slowly do it," Short said.  "But I don't expect it right away. If I just keep doing everything and I control what I can control, then everything will kind of … happen."
 
Check back with GoVandals.com tomorrow to catch up with Andrea Condie ahead of her first trip to NCAAs.
 
To stay current on all Vandal Athletics visit GoVandals.com, or follow the Vandals on Twitter, @Idaho_Vandals.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho track and field/cross country by following the team on Twitter @IdahoTrack.