While becoming one of the best boys distance runners in Downers Grove North history, senior Zack Smith, has managed to remain an excellent student.

”I would say if you’re doing something, you might as well go the way,” Smith said.

”I think definitely when I set my mind to something, I can get it done. I’m definitely very motivated and I’m able to motivate myself by myself, which I think is big for me. I think that’s what I’ve been taught myself, to be able to train as hard as I do and also work as hard as I do and study as hard as I do in the classroom. I’ve always dedicated myself to both.”

Smith’s efforts have continued to pay off. On Monday, April 21, Smith will be among the 26 seniors of the 2013-14 Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Team recognized at a banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.

On Nov. 9, Smith led the boys cross country team to second place at the Class 3A state meet, its highest team finish ever, while individual all-state honors for the second straight year by placing third in his fourth state appearance (14:23 for 3.0 miles). He also earned all-state honors at the 2013 boys track state meet by taking third in the 1,600-meter run (4:14.49 fully automatic time) behind two seniors.

As a student, Smith ranks among the top five percent and will attend the University of Illinois, where he plans to major in accounting and continue his running.

“(For) this academic all-state team, as much as it has to do with athletics, you’ve got to do it in the classroom as well,” Smith said. “A group of people who didn’t necessarily know me outside of the essay I wrote, the little details that they knew about me, they thought that I was deserving based on what I did not only on the cross country course and on the track but in the classroom. That was pretty cool for me.”

The 13 male and 13 female senior student-athletes were selected from among more than 450 nominees throughout the state. Nominees must have at least a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale) after their seventh semester, have participated in at least two IHSA-sponsored activities each of the last two years and demonstrated outstanding citizenship.

Each IHSA school is allowed only one male and female nominee, and Downers North’s Stephanie Urbancik also was named to the all-state academic team. Urbancik has been a three-time all-stater in track with the 3,200 relay and competed for the Trojans’ state-qualifying cross country team Nov. 9. She is deciding between attending USC and William and Mary.

The IHSA released the selections on its website Feb. 21. Smith found out he was selected from principal Scott Kasik.

”They called me down to the office after eighth period and I was thinking, ‘Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble?’ ” Smith said. “I couldn’t believe it because when I applied, they basically told me it’s really hard to get. When they told me that, I wasn’t really expecting it at all and then when they told me Stephanie got it, too, both of us from our school, it was pretty incredible. I was just really humbled just knowing that out of all of those people that I was one of the ones chosen.”

In cross country, Smith has excelled as a leader who established the work ethic for this past season’s success as the final link to the program’s last qualifying team in 2010. His all-state, eighth-place finish as the Trojans’ lone state representative proved to be a defining moment for him and numerous teammates who came to support him and gain motivation to join him as a senior.

”(Smith) works really hard but obviously he excels big-time in the classroom and he works his tail off in school, too,” Downers North boys cross country head coach and assistant boys track coach John Sipple said.

“There are only a small number of kids that get recognized and at North, to have two here between him and Steph, it’s a really big deal. He deserves the recognition there as well and put in for it. There’s nobody more deserving.”

Smith has made many sacrifices to be able to excel in both arenas. The main challenge has been time management to get the proper amount of rest needed to sustain and reap the benefits of consistent distance training.

”There are some nights you’re up doing your homework and you know you have a race coming up and you just want to go to bed. You’re like, ‘I need to be doing sleep,’ but you have to make the sacrifice and do it and I think it definitely paid off,” Smith said.

”Running can only take me so far in life and obviously academics have to come first. That’s what our coaches always talk about – first it’s family, then academics, then track and field. I feel I’ve done my best to balance both and make the right decisions.”

As a senior, Smith said he dropped one class early in the year in favor of a study hall to make sure he could have a strong final cross country season for himself and the team. Smith went on to qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals Dec. 6 in Portland, Ore., and finished 30th (15:32 for 5,000 meters).

His offseason training prior track was stalled by a minor injury, but Smith is coming on strong this spring. On March 12, he set an outdoor school record for the 3,200 of 9:08.44 FAT competing in California at the Arcadia Invitational with Downers North junior Ryan Clevenger and senior Tony Zea, who will join him at Illinois. Smith set the indoor 3,200 school record of 9:19.66 FAT as a junior.

”I definitely think sophomore and junior years were the toughest for me with the workload – go to practice, go home, shower, eat, do homework until 11 o’clock, go to bed,” Smith said. “It was definitely tough to get to bed before 11, just with the sheer workload I had, whereas now I can get to bed by 10, 10:30 on a typical night no problem.”

Several other track and cross country standouts are among this year’s recipients, including Hinsdale Central’s Kevin Huang, O’Fallon’s Patrick Perrier, Neuqua Valley’s Nick Bushelle and Glenbard West’s Madeline Perez.

Perrier won the 2013 3A boys cross country state title. Perez won the 2012 3A girls cross country state title and swept the 3,200 and 1,600 at the 2013 3A girls track state meet. Huang, an all-state member of Hinsdale Central’s first state championship team, was informed of his selection by Smith during the Proviso West Invitational Feb. 22.

”There are all of these character attributes that you have work on as a distance runner all of the time that would translate into being a good academic person,” Sipple said. “You’ve got to be determined. You’ve got to be committed. You’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to persevere. A distance runner needs to have the ability to understand the amount of effort they’re putting up front because the results just don’t come right away. They pay off in the end. I think it works the same way in school.”

Smith said the Trojans’ second-place state cross country trophy is his proudest athletic achievement. As part of the nomination process, Smith was required to submit an essay, and he cited the 2012 state meet, which proved to be a prelude to what happened this past November.

”I had a lot of support that (junior) year with all of the guys being down there and that was really huge for me. That meant a lot to me,” Smith said. “They were all down there for me and I knew right then I was going to be there for them the next two years.”

-- by Bill Stone