Zierak earns All-American honors at Adidas Track Nationals

Broadalbin-Perth High School junior Anthony Zierak recently earned All-American honors with a third-place finish in the indoor pentathlon at the Adidas Track Nationals, delivering one of the top performances in Section 2 history. 

Zierak scored 3,453 points, the fifth-highest indoor pentathlon total ever recorded in Section 2, during a demanding national-level competition that tested athletes across five events over nearly 10 hours.

The indoor pentathlon began with the 60-meter hurdles and concluded with the 1,000-meter run, requiring athletes to balance speed, strength, and endurance throughout the day.

Zierak’s event results included:

• 60m hurdles – 8.57 seconds
• Long jump – 21’ 7.25”
• High jump – 6’ 6”
• Shot put – 35’ 9.25”
• 1,000m – 3:10.02

Reflecting on the experience, Zierak said track and field has been an important part of his life since middle school.

“Track and field has always had a special place in my heart,” he said. “Being surrounded by a team filled with determination and support makes it even better. The feeling of bonding with your team over a sport that is loved by all is more than anything I could ask for.”

He added that earning All-American recognition was a goal he had worked toward for years.

“If you were to tell me in seventh grade that I would become an All-American, I would have never believed you,” Zierak said. “Taking my steps onto that podium, holding that medal, finally gaining that title I was chasing felt like a dream.”

Zierak also credited his coaches and teammates for helping him reach the milestone.

“I never could have asked for a better coaching staff,” he said. “They helped me work through my nerves before races and gave me confidence. The sound of my teammates cheering me on while racing gives me that extra boost needed to finish.”

In addition to Zierak, Broadalbin-Perth was represented at Adidas Track Nationals by the boys sprint medley relay team of junior Nick Tirrito, freshman Raymond Sullivan Jr., senior Colton Lizzio, and senior Roman Dutcher, as well as junior Bobby Ransom in the high jump, senior Jayla Soler in the triple jump, Tirrito in the 60-meter dash, and Sullivan in both the 60-meter and 200-meter races.

Broadalbin-Perth’s indoor track and field team is coached by Alex Hitrick with Alyssa Bové-Hitrick, Kayla Twardzik, and Vincent Calderone.