MORGANTOWN — Clay-Battelle High School senior Zac Hall has emerged as one of the top sprinters in the state in recent years.
After finishing as runner-up for Class A in the 100-meter dash at the 2023 state track and field meet, Hall worked hard in the offseason and entered his 2024 senior season confident, hungry, and with specific goals.
“This offseason I wanted to focus on getting stronger and improving conditioning,” Hall said. “I set some goals early on as far as wanting to break the school record in the 100 (meters), get under 11 seconds, and hopefully bring home a state championship.”
Hall finished in second in Charleston last year with an 11.10 time in the finals, .24 seconds away from first place.
So far in 2024, Hall has accomplished two of the three goals he listed, with a new personal, and school, record time of 10.96. He also set the school record in the 200-meter with a time of 22.52, a state-best for Class A so far this season.
“It’s an honor being able to hold the school record in both of those events,” he said. “It’s a goal I set for myself and being able to achieve it is a rewarding experience. Our team has been able to compete at some larger meets with bigger schools this season and it’s a great feeling to go out and be competitive with them.”
Originally a football player, Zac said he began running track to stay in shape as a running back. In fact, in the 2022 football season as a junior for the Cee-Bees, Hall eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground. He and senior quarterback in 2022, Carson Shriver (who now plays at Waynesburg), became the first pair of Cee-Bees to each rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.
“I just fell in love with it,” he recalled of his early track experiences. “Coaches and my family have all been key in helping push me to the success I have had by holding me accountable and giving me all the tools I need to be successful.”
In March, Hall had the opportunity to compete at the 2024 New Balance indoor track meet where he competed in the 60-meter sprint.
“That was such a great experience that I was blessed with,” he said. “Competing at such a high level with athletes from the entire country showed me what I truly needed to improve on in my race to have a successful outdoor season going forward.”
Now, as the track and field season enters the conference meets, regional meets, and finally the state meet, Hall knows it’s important to make sure he focuses on what he needs to improve despite setting recent records.
“Heading into regionals and states I am focusing on polishing everything,” Hall said. “Most important is my block start. I also want to keep working on the little techniques and tips I have been taught all along by my coaches and trainers.”
