Nicolet National Bank Senior Spotlight: Jacqueline Zacharias, Notre Dame volleyball, softball and track and field

By Greg Bates
Sports Editor
Name: Jacqueline Zacharias

Parents: Ken and Carolyn Zacharias

Activities: Volleyball, softball and track and field

Nicknames: Jaq, Jay-Z, Veggie

Twitter: @JaqZacharias

Jacqueline has an extremely busy schedule at Notre Dame Academy between academics and athletics. She loves being busy, and that’s exemplified during the spring season when she competes in both softball and track and field.

You compete in two sports in the spring. How do you jockey that?

“It’s kind of just like a matter of games and meets on which days and balancing both, trying to hold priority on both. It definitely can be difficult. There are definitely days where I was sitting in class texting both my coaches on a day where I had a game and a meet. I’m like, ‘What do I do?’ But I’m glad I’ve got both, because it’s given me a sense of time management and I love both sports.”

Why do you like competing in three sports?

“I just love the competitiveness, and I do really enjoy being busy. It just gives me something to do all the time, and to meet a bunch of different people through all my different sports has been so cool.”

Are you looking at competing in athletics in college?

“I’m kind of looking at competing in track a little bit in college, but nothing’s set for sure yet. Options kind of open on that.”

What colleges have you been looking at?

“I’m looking at some schools in North Carolina and Tennessee, because I have brothers who live there and I just love those areas so much. There’s definitely some really great schools out by them that I’ve been looking at.”

Do you have any idea what you’d like to do for a profession?

“I’m looking into going into environmental science, kind of more a conservation side of that. Not sure what kind of occupation that would bring me. Again, so like options open on that, too. I want to learn and see what’s all out there for me.”

What do you do winter season when you don’t have a sport to compete in?

“For the past how ever many years, it’s been filled. I’ve been doing club volleyball, club softball in the winter, so my winter has been just as busy as my school seasons. But this year since I’ll be graduating, I won’t be doing those club sports really anymore. It’s probably just going to be filled with a lot of lifting, A lot of just training on my own.”

What is your favorite sport besides what you play?

“From the boys side of sports, all my brothers played baseball while I was growing up, so I’ve always enjoyed really watching baseball. It’s been my favorite sport to watch.”

What’s the most important thing in your life right now?

“Definitely just my family. That’s always been very important to me. My family’s growing, my brother’s having kids, so just more time with family the better and getting to see everyone.”

What’s the favorite sport you play?

“That’s kind of a toss-up between track and volleyball. Track has always been very good for me individually, but volleyball, my team has always been so close, so that’s just been so fun to play volleyball these last few years.”

You started playing volleyball competitively in fifth grade. What was it about volleyball that caught your attention right away?

“I was a really tall fifth-grader, so my mom was like, ‘You should definitely play volleyball.’ The people I’ve played with my whole life, out of all my teams, I’ve always been closest with my volleyball teams. So I think just the camaraderie of the sport and how close you’re working with everyone on the court has always just kept me involved and loving the sport.”

What is a quote that’s really stuck with you through the years?

“I think it’s something my brother told me probably like a year or two ago. He said, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you’re not going to remember it in five years, it’s not going to matter right now.’”

What do you like to do during your free time?

“I like to read a little bit, hang out with my dogs. I try to go fishing a lot whenever I go up north. We go up north (to Tomahawk) a lot on the weekends when I’m free. Up there, we go fishing, tubing, skiing. All of that’s really fun.”

You’re big into the water scene. What’s fun about being out on the water?

“It’s just been a really good escape my whole life. That property’s been in my family my whole life. The water skiing and tubing, it’s like a fun thrill and makes you forget about everything. Fishing has always been so relaxing, a good way to clear my mind. Just talk with dad and my brothers in the boat. No pressure if you don’t catch any fish, just going for fun.”

If you could be someone for a day, who would it be?

“Maybe Taylor Swift, because I’ve always wanted to be a good singer. But I didn’t get blessed with that.”

What are you looking forward to your senior year with academics and athletics?

“I think just getting one last shot to give my all in everything I’ve been working towards my whole life is what I’m looking forward to most. For volleyball and all my other sports, just kind of putting it all out there one last time. Same with my academics, I’m never going to have a schedule or something like this again, so just kind of giving my all one more time before I head off to college.”

How many brothers do you have and how old are they?

“I have five older brothers. The oldest is like 32 and it ranges down to me.”

What was it like growing up as the only girl with five older brothers?

“It was definitely fun, a lot of sports for sure growing up. I think that’s why I’m so obsessed with playing a bunch of sports now, because I always grew up with them. Whenever they were bored, they’re like, ‘Let’s go outside and do this.’ We grew up with a Nerf hoop in the family room, and they’d dunk on me when I was like 4 years old.”

Are you pretty tough because you have five brothers?

“I think so. I can definitely take it.”

What’s one thing your coaches and teammates don’t know about you?

“They probably don’t know I go fishing a lot. I don’t really talk about that too much. But I go fishing like every weekend. I guess not many people would guess that about me.”

One word that describes you?

“I’d probably say independent. I think I’ve always been used to taking care of things myself and like it that way.”

Who is your favorite athlete?

“It’s kind of partial to a hometown team, but I’ve always enjoyed watching Christian Yelich. He’s just a really cool player.”