Zach Extine thought football was going to be the sport he’d use as a vehicle to advance in life.
Extine played football at Gilbert Perry High School when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy played for the Pumas. Purdy was the big man on campus as a senior when Extine was a freshman.
“He was definitely that guy, for sure,” Extine said. “When I was a freshman, he was going crazy and throwing 50 touchdowns. That was a really fun year.”
Extine also joined Perry’s track team and “started doing the hurdles, because it just looked fun,” he said.
UA track and field athlete Zach Extine, center, broke the school record for the third time at the Big 12 Championships.
“Some people were scared of it, but it just looked fun,” Extine added.
Extine discovered his forte was 110-meter hurdles, which he now runs as a senior for the Arizona Wildcats track and field program. You can also find him running “the (200-meter) hurdles just for fun, but I’m not any good at it,” he said.
On the indoor front, Extine runs the 60-meter hurdles and currently owns the school record (7.62 seconds) for the 60-meter indoor hurdles, a mark he set at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in March.
Extine’s obsession for hurdling started as a sophomore at Perry, when he “realized that I like track more (than football) and it fulfilled me more and made me more happy,” Extine said.
“It’s kind of weird how it happened,” he said. “I always thought I was going to be some football star, but track found me in a way. ... In track, there’s nothing like that feeling when you’re in the blocks and you’re about to start (a race). That adrenaline rush you get, there’s nothing like it. It’s like the first snap of a football game, but on steroids.
“You feel that adrenaline rush, your heart is racing and I just live for those moments and I love that feeling of the adrenaline before a race. I love training and what comes out of it and how it makes me feel.”
Due to injuries in 2023 and ’24, Extine was able to preserve a fifth year, so even though he’s a senior, the Senior Day festivities at the Desert Heat Classic at Drachman Stadium wasn’t Extine’s last hurrah in Tucson, “but it was awesome to see all of the people I came in with have that moment and be acknowledged and recognized,” Extine said.
Extine won the 110-meter hurdles event and set a facility record with a time of 13.17 (+2.4) seconds. Extine’s time ranks second in the NCAA this season. Senior thrower Zach Landa took first place at shot put, while recording personal best hammer throw and discus throws. Senior Reinaldo Rodrigues also set a personal record in the long jump at 8.05 meters, the first time Rodrigues jumped past 8 meters in an event.
Zach Extine broke his own record in Lubbock, Texas, at the Corky Classic in January.
“We had a lot of special performances on Saturday, so it was a fun meet and it was good that we were able to have a good time and have a great environment,” he said.
Extine, who’s about to enter the UA’s management information system (MIS) master’s program, joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson leading up to the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Lawrence, Kansas, which run from Thursday, May 15, to Saturday, May 17. Here’s part of that interview with Extine:
How would you describe your rise at Arizona?
A: “It’s definitely been a wild ride. I remember when I first came in, we still had to wear masks and get (COVID-19) testing, but now it’s completely different. It’s been a wild ride, for sure. Going from the young guy to the old guy is kind of weird. When I came in, I was the only hurdler in my class and now I’m the old one. It’s been fun to see how my teammates have grown. I’ve had a great time here the last four years, for sure.”
Track is such an individual sport, so how do you balance your own personal success with the team dynamic?
A: “It’s important that we have our own goals and what we want to do on the track, but it’s also important to support each other and support each other’s goals. Just because you’re racing against your teammates, it doesn’t mean you both can’t (reach a personal record). The goal is for everyone to do the best they can. Some people are going to be better than others. Some people want to win a national championship, while others want to go to the Big 12 final. ... It’s important to support each other’s goals. That’s one thing I think this team does really, we support each other. It’s an individual sport, but we love each other and it’s a great team environment.”
By the end of the year, Zach Extine is hoping to be an All-American and to make it to the NCAA Championships finals.
What’s your mindset approaching the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Kansas?
A: “The Big 12 is loaded. It’s definitely different than the Pac-12 that had USC, Oregon, Washington. Now. there’s seven or eight schools that are pretty dang good. For us, it’s important to compete and that’s something that Coach Harvey always pushes towards us. This is when it matters, when you get to the Big 12 and the national meets. It’s cool to run fast in March, but it’s better to run fast in May and June. We just all have to do the best we can and let the chips fall where they will.”
Do you have any professional hurdling or Olympic aspirations?
A: “We’ll see. I’m just working every day to get better. That’s obviously the goal. It’s really competitive out there and I’m just going to keep working and we’ll see how fast I’m running.”
