PENDLETON — Shannon Zugelder didn’t blink when she had to choose which event to focus on as a seventh-grader three years ago. Distance running stood out a mile away.
Running was in her background already as she first participated in school Turkey Trots around second grade and her grandfather, Richard May, competed in the 400-meter dash for St. Joe’s in the early to mid-1960s. But once she realized she had the endurance to maintain a good pace, distance running is where Zugelder has taken Section VI and the state by storm.
Last year, Zugelder became the 3,000-meter champion at the section’s Division I outdoor state qualifier and crossed the finish line in 10 minutes, 18.46 seconds, just 0.24 seconds in front of Niagara Wheatfield’s Miranda Gatto, and later placed 23rd at states. She then placed 10th at states in the cross country 5,000, her best finish in three straight appearances.
But no matter how high the stakes are, Zugelder’s approach is the same, as she heads into her fourth outdoor season. Being on the track, in practices and meets, gives her joy.
“You just have to have fun,” Zugelder said. “You have to be relaxed about it, because, if you’re uptight and you keep thinking about it, even every lap pace that you need to hit and you don’t hit it, it really affects you mindfully and physically. So, I think just having that easiness and try to be mindful about yourself really helps.”
As she’s moved from year to year, Zugelder has added different events to her repertoire for the Spartans. During the school year, Zugelder’s sweet spot is competing in either the 800, 1,500 or 3,000 and was part of Starpoint’s 4×800 relay team that placed seventh at the outdoor state qualifier with a time of 10:50.28.
The longer the distance, Zugelder finds her groove. Since she made her Starpoint debut during the 2021 outdoor season, the now sophomore has won 16 times and has placed third or higher in 28 of 44 career meets when running at least 3,000 meters.
But on her way towards becoming a seven-time sectional champion and appearing in 10 total state qualifiers, Zugelder built up a training regimen in recent years to adjust to her different events, including the outdoor 3,000. Zugelder’s routine is filled with more than just the running itself.
Eating a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates, sleeping eight to nine hours a night and properly stretching all help Zugelder prepare for each race. Additionally, Zugelder includes a weight-lifting and plyometrics routine, with the help of virtual trainer Ron Brissette, the owner of Brissette Sports Performance, who now lives in Florida.
“I try to lift two or three times a week,” Zugelder said. “I think it just really helps trying to strengthen my legs, trying to improve the strength that I have when I push at the end of races, kind of like last outdoor season. … Trying to (do) squat jumps, step ups, just trying to make sure I stay strong with my legs and can push, power through.”
Training for all three sports requires a balance for Zugelder between keeping her pace and not getting burned out. For the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons, Zugelder’s routine is the same, with the lone exception being her mileage range for each sport.
The overall target is 35 to 45 miles throughout the school or training year, with a slower start at the beginning of each season to get acclimated. The mileage increases during the summer months ahead of cross country, but decreases during indoor as Zugelder focuses on increasing her speed for the final sprints.
“She’s got a lot of speed, too, but she definitely has to work harder at that speed,” Starpoint distance coach Mackenzie Lowe said. “But the distance kind of comes a little bit more naturally. Longer threshold strength-base workouts are her strong point. … She likes to go long. She likes to put in mileage, and that’s fun for her.”
Zugelder has goals for the immediate and near future. She wants to help the Spartans girls defend their Class A sectional championship, with an end goal of running at a Division I program in college.
Zugelder not only has the experience of competing against the best in the section and the state but also on a national level. In the last two years, Zugelder has competed in six different national events, including in June, when she placed fourth in the 3,000 outdoor race with a time of 10:22.12 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“I try to take it, if it’s a sectional race, just go out there, try to even win your heat or something,” Zugelder said. “Just pretend it’s a normal race, and, I think it really helps. Just to have fun with it, honestly.”
Starpoint begins its outdoor season in ECIC II action at Amherst at 5:30 p.m. April 16.