Ever since joining Sage Hill School, sophomore Zack Longo has dedicated himself to running cross country and not looked back. In his freshman year, Zack closed in on the Sage Hill cross country record, but came just short, running his best time of 16:07 at the 43rd Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic.

Entering the Fall 2025 season, Zack picked up where he left off in his freshman year. At the 2025 Dana Hills Invitational at Dana Hills High School, Zack broke the Sage Hill three-mile record.

Entering just his second race of the season, Zack was confident he could break the school record. Before the race, he had inched below a 5:00 mile pace, which comes out to a 15:00 three-mile time.

“15:29 was not a scary task at all,” Zack said.

Also running in the 2025 Dana Hills Invitational was fellow Sage Hill cross country star junior Nate Yoo. During the race, Nate got off to a quick pace with his long strides, and Zack settled in behind him, trying to stay close.

“In the moment, it was like any other race. It felt hard to hold onto my teammate, Nate, but then, once I was close enough to finish, my legs were fresh enough to close fast,” Zack said.

Both Zack and Nate, with their times of 15:29 and 15:35 at the Dana Hills Invitational, surpassed the 18-year-old school record of 15:39 set by Connor Rose in 2007.

When training, Zack follows his personally tailored plan that Cross Country Head Coach Mario Flores sets for him. In his regimen, Zack alternates between workouts and a variety of runs, including long and tempo runs and strides before race day.

“Practicing is mainly running, but also other aspects like plyometrics or strength training that are good for running form,” Zack said.

In addition to Zack’s training program, Assistant Coach Sergio Flores gives Zack plyometric workouts to improve responsiveness in his form.

Zack attributes his cross country success to his consistent and rigorous training. More importantly, his passion for running stems from a desire to challenge himself.

“I like challenging myself in workouts and seeing progress. For example, I like looking back at old PR times and trying to rep them in workouts now,” Zack said.

For the remainder of the season, Zack aims to make the CIF State Cross Country Championship and run a strong time. He also hopes to beat some competitors, specifically from his former middle school, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

Zack’s high school cross country career is still young, but he sets his long-term sights on qualifying for the Nike Cross Nationals.