Zach Facioni
Photo by: Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography
Facioni Looking for Another Top Finish at ACC Championships
10/31/2019 10:17:00 PM | Cross Country, Les Johns
As the 2016 Australian Under-18 Cross Country Champion, Zach Facioni had college options all over the country.
He visited Wake Forest in July 2018, and was enrolled and training a little more than a month later. Facioni capitalized on the opportunity quickly, grabbing a second-place finish as a freshman in the 2018 ACC Cross Country Championships.
Facioni will get a chance to follow up on that performance Friday when the Deacs head to Blacksburg to compete in this year's ACC Cross Country Championships.
"I'm feeling good and training has been going well," he said. "I'm definitely ahead of where I was at this time last year. So I'm hoping to improve from my second-place finish from a year ago. It's a different race every time, so you never know."
Wake Forest coach John Hayes said that Facioni set a program record in the spring in the 5,000 meters, and is one of the leaders for his young men's team.
"Wasn't great in Wisconsin (Nuttycombe Invitational), but is very fit," Hayes said. "He's done things that I've had All-Americans at other schools do at that level. That's where he is right now. He just has to perform that way in a race. He just has to believe in himself and the work he's put in. He's been tremendous for our program."
The competition in Wisconsin in mid-October set off alarm bells for many on the team.
"It wasn't the best race to anyone," Facioni said. "It does give you more of a stimulus that you can't get anywhere else in training. It shocks your body in a way and prepares you for the races to come. It mentally got us prepared for the ACC and regionals. It gets you set for the pain and stress on the body."
The field in Wisconsin was littered with teams that will likely fill the NCAA national field in late November.
"Most of us have run just one or two seasons, if that," Facioni said. "It shows we have a lot of room to grow as a team. If we're able to compete with some of these older, more experienced teams, it shows that we're going to be a force to be reckoned with moving forward."
Facioni has transitioned well from Sydney, Australia and its 4.6 million population to the cozy confines of the Wake Forest campus in Winston-Salem.
"It's been great," he said. "I have absolutely no regrets. I'm enjoying the school aspect.
"Running wise, I've been performing much better than I was at home. Everything about it has been really good."
He has been able to return home during long breaks, like during Christmas and in the summer.
"The biggest thing is the number of people," he said of the adjustments. "Sydney is one of the biggest cities in terms of population, and it's a pretty busy place. Big city plus beaches, densely populated.
"Most of the stuff you do here is right on campus, alongside other students. The hardest thing is just keeping up with people back home, because of the time difference."
Facioni said the top goal on his list is to get the team to NCAA national competition, which means competing well in Blacksburg Friday and then at the NCAA Southeast Regional in mid-November. He plans to snag an 'NCAA title or two' during his time at Wake Forest, whether it be in cross country, indoor or outdoor track and field seasons.
"He's great," Facioni said about Wake Forest coach John Hayes. "He's super knowledgeable about the sport. He has reasons for everything we do, and is happy to explain it. He's supportive of our goals."
He's also seen an immediate positive impact with the opening of the Ben Sutton Sports Performance Center.
"We use the new weight room twice a week and the new nutrition center has been really useful," Facioni said. "You don't want too much food before you run, because it will just sit in your stomach. But the nutrition center has these small bars that are specifically designed to eat before runs and workouts. That's been a huge help for the guys on the team."
He visited Wake Forest in July 2018, and was enrolled and training a little more than a month later. Facioni capitalized on the opportunity quickly, grabbing a second-place finish as a freshman in the 2018 ACC Cross Country Championships.
Facioni will get a chance to follow up on that performance Friday when the Deacs head to Blacksburg to compete in this year's ACC Cross Country Championships.
"I'm feeling good and training has been going well," he said. "I'm definitely ahead of where I was at this time last year. So I'm hoping to improve from my second-place finish from a year ago. It's a different race every time, so you never know."
Wake Forest coach John Hayes said that Facioni set a program record in the spring in the 5,000 meters, and is one of the leaders for his young men's team.
"Wasn't great in Wisconsin (Nuttycombe Invitational), but is very fit," Hayes said. "He's done things that I've had All-Americans at other schools do at that level. That's where he is right now. He just has to perform that way in a race. He just has to believe in himself and the work he's put in. He's been tremendous for our program."
The competition in Wisconsin in mid-October set off alarm bells for many on the team.
"It wasn't the best race to anyone," Facioni said. "It does give you more of a stimulus that you can't get anywhere else in training. It shocks your body in a way and prepares you for the races to come. It mentally got us prepared for the ACC and regionals. It gets you set for the pain and stress on the body."
The field in Wisconsin was littered with teams that will likely fill the NCAA national field in late November.
"Most of us have run just one or two seasons, if that," Facioni said. "It shows we have a lot of room to grow as a team. If we're able to compete with some of these older, more experienced teams, it shows that we're going to be a force to be reckoned with moving forward."
Facioni has transitioned well from Sydney, Australia and its 4.6 million population to the cozy confines of the Wake Forest campus in Winston-Salem.
"It's been great," he said. "I have absolutely no regrets. I'm enjoying the school aspect.
"Running wise, I've been performing much better than I was at home. Everything about it has been really good."
He has been able to return home during long breaks, like during Christmas and in the summer.
"The biggest thing is the number of people," he said of the adjustments. "Sydney is one of the biggest cities in terms of population, and it's a pretty busy place. Big city plus beaches, densely populated.
"Most of the stuff you do here is right on campus, alongside other students. The hardest thing is just keeping up with people back home, because of the time difference."
Facioni said the top goal on his list is to get the team to NCAA national competition, which means competing well in Blacksburg Friday and then at the NCAA Southeast Regional in mid-November. He plans to snag an 'NCAA title or two' during his time at Wake Forest, whether it be in cross country, indoor or outdoor track and field seasons.
"He's great," Facioni said about Wake Forest coach John Hayes. "He's super knowledgeable about the sport. He has reasons for everything we do, and is happy to explain it. He's supportive of our goals."
He's also seen an immediate positive impact with the opening of the Ben Sutton Sports Performance Center.
"We use the new weight room twice a week and the new nutrition center has been really useful," Facioni said. "You don't want too much food before you run, because it will just sit in your stomach. But the nutrition center has these small bars that are specifically designed to eat before runs and workouts. That's been a huge help for the guys on the team."
Players Mentioned
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