2024-2025: Cross Country – ran in all 6 ACU XC meets, getting off to a good start for the seaso, finishing 3rd in the ACU Naimadu Classic (the #2 ACU finisher). In the championship meets at season’s end, Zach finished 58th in the WAC Championship and 136th in the South Central Region Championship – finishing #6 for ACU in both races.  

2023-2024: Cross Country – off to a strong start to his inaugural season finishing 45th in the Texas A&M Invitational with a season best 8K time of 25:28, he suffered a slight injury mid-season that hampered his development. Still finished 65th (#5 ACU finisher) at the WAC Championship run at ACU’s Zoe Park course and finishing the season by finishing 125th (#6 ACU finisher) at the South Central Region meet. Indoors – competed in 2 meets indoors, including finishing 3rd at the JD Martin Invitational in Norman, OK, in the 3K with a PR time of 8:57.01. He did not compete at the WAC indoor championships. Outdoors – fought through nagging injuries all year, but was able to compete in 4 outdoor meets, placing 6th at the Corky Crofoot Shootout at Texas Tech in the 1500, with a PR time of 4:06.86

Before ACU: Running for McKinney Boyd, Zach went to state in XC during his senior year and finished 46th in the 6A championship. In the spring of his senior year, he finished 4th in the District 5-6A 3200 (in a PR time of 9:21.61) and 7th in the 1600 in one of the top distance running districts in Texas. He was a 3-year team captain; Academic All-state in both XC and T&F; Texas Cross Country Coaches Association All-State; and the McKinney Boyd Male Athlete of the Year in 2022. He left his high school as the XC record holder in the 2-mile, 3-mile and 5K. 

Personal: Graduated from McKinney Boyd in the spring of 2023, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and an AP Scholar. At ACU, he is a Secondary History Education major. His parents are Jeff & Susan Martin and he has one sister, Sydney. 

Why did you choose ACU: I chose ACU for its unique academic opportunities and athletics program. The team and its culture played an essential role in why I wanted to represent their program.