Meet the Panthers: Zach Lefever
9/21/2017 3:18:00 PM | Cross Country
Get to Know the 2017 Pitt Cross Country Newcomers
Name: Zach Lefever
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Previous School: Ephrata HS
Describe yourself using three emojis.
What songs have you completely memorized?
A lot of rap songs. Starboy by The Weeknd. Pretty much anything by the Weeknd.
In which movie universe would you most like to live?
I would probably say Harry Potter. I grew up watching those movies.
What's the farthest you've ever been from home?
Nevada. My family and I took a cross country trip camping around and Nevada was as far as we got.
Which app do you use the most on your phone?
iMessage is the obvious answer but I'm going to say iFunny. I don't know if you know what that is but it's funny memes that you can scroll through. When I'm bored I just pull out my phone and say, "ok let's laugh."
Why did you choose Pitt?
For me, it was more for academics and athletics. I wanted to make sure they were both exactly what I wanted. When I committed, I wasn't sure if I was going to study computer science or engineering but I knew Pitt had two good programs so I knew I was going to be good that way. When I came for my official visit, I fell in love with the team; it was very similar to what I had back at Ephrata (High School). I also just love the city of Pittsburgh.
What are you studying?
I've committed to computer science.
Who introduced you to the sport of cross country?
I didn't start running cross country until 10th grade. But I ran track in middle school and I was pretty decent. Then the cross country coach said, "Zach you should consider doing cross country." I said, "I'll pass coach." But then my freshman year I started doing well so I decided to try cross country. I turned out to be really good at it. The team aspect of it is unlike any other sport, and all of that together attracted me to cross country.
Who is your favorite professional athlete of all time?
I grew up playing basketball, so I like Kobe [Bryant] a lot. I looked up to him as a kid. As for running, I always looked up to Matt Centrowitz.
Do you have any pre-meet rituals you have to do?
The night before, I have to have pasta - spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna. I've never actually tried anything different and I don't plan on doing anything different. On the bus ride over to the meet I listen to a lot of Linkin Park. Just because their music gets you pumped up. I also listen to a lot of rap music. I'll go on Spotify and look up pregame music and listen to whatever it plays.
What is the craziest thing to happen to you during a race?
One time I was at a dual meet, and it went up a small mountain, with a cliff that dives off. I was running close to the cliff and foot slipped off and I had to grab on to get back up.
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