Zoe Nuechterlein has been one of the steady top performers for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cross country and distance squad over the past few years. With PR's of 18:51 for 5K and 5:11 for 1600 meters, Nuechterlein was a top 15 finisher in the 2015 state cross country race for 4A. After injuries plagued her senior year, Nuechterlein is looking forward to the opportunity to run in college at Yale University starting int he fall.
Name: Zoe Nuechterlein
School: Bethesda-Chevy Chase
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
The 2016 Indoor Montgomery County Championship 4x800: Lily O'Dowd, Sarah Haas, Analise Schmidt, and I debuted our relay (which ended up winning States and going to Nationals during outdoor track!). It wasn't our fastest time, but it was probably our most thrilling race. It was so exciting to watch Analise come from behind with her beautiful kick to secure our win. This meet was especially memorable because of the snow storm that made the drive home from the PG Sportsplex about six hours for most athletes (it's usually around 30 minutes for me)...we had a long time to reflect on a fun race!
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
B-CC's friendly rivalry with WJ was alive before I joined the team and it continued for most of my high school career.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
I've come a long way to turn myself into the type of runner I hoped I would become-a varsity runner who can score for the team! The simplest way for me to measure this growth is with my 1600 times. When I got to high school, I had never gone for a run before. I was a ballet dancer for 11 years and I was told not to run because running would make me less flexible (it's true-I'm just a little sad that I've lost my splits). At the beginning of freshman year, I ran the 1600 in about 7:40 in a time trial for the dance team. That spring, I joined track and brought that time down to 5:56. I'm so happy to know that just two years later I cut 45 more seconds off that time and that going under 5:00 in college is definitely realistic.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I started writing this answer about becoming a runner earlier in my life, but I think I learned some important lessons by dancing before running. Then I started writing about working more on injury prevention, but I'm glad I grew in other ways from the sidelines this year and gave some teammates the chance to shine. I guess my point is that I believe everything happens for a reason! #noregrets
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Injuries have presented challenges, especially during senior year. I got a stress reaction in my femur last fall and unfortunately I've been recovering from related injuries ever since. Aqua jogging is not nearly as fun as running, but I've had to do most of my workouts in the pool this year. Still, I'm feeling optimistic and hoping for a great summer of running this year.
What will you miss the most?
I am going to miss all of my teammates and my coaches SO much! The B-CC XCTF community is one of the greatest groups of people I've ever met and they will all have a special place in my heart forever.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
Don't hesitate to set big, scary dreams! You have nothing to lose. And do whatever you can to get extremely pumped up for both racing and training-dance parties before meets and/or workouts tend to work for me!
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coaches Chad and Emily Young have been incredible mentors over the past four years and I am so thankful to have met them. They've taught me a lot about being fearless and putting my teammates first. I'll miss them so much but hopefully I'll see them often when I come to babysit Oliver Young...
What are your college plans?
Running cross country and track at Yale University (I'm on the team as a walk-on athlete)! Go Bulldogs!
Who else would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I would write out a personalized "thank you" to each of my teammates from all four years, but my answers have been long enough already, so here are some shoutouts:
-Victoria Toth: I met her during my first day of track tryouts and she made me feel welcome even though I didn't know anyone yet. We've been best friends ever since!
-The girls I train with: Virginia Brown for pushing me during both races and aqua jog sessions and the mid-distance squad (Gabriela, Sarah, Analise etc.)
-All the other senior leaders this year for being so supportive (Katherine, Analise, Devi, Kate, Michaela, Isabella, Madison, Maria, Ayathma)
-the past "Team Moms" whom I miss a lot: Abigail Levine, Rachel Vanjoske, Sarah Ward
-the past B-CC superstars who inspired me freshman/sophomore year: Caroline Beakes (who is now my teammate again!), Nora McUmber, Kat McNeill, Helen Webster
