• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

Click to join our weekly e-newsletter

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices

Summer Olympics

Local sprinter has big dreams

July 21, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

By the time Evan Miller graduated from Zephyrhills Christian Academy (ZCA), he was already among Florida’s fastest sprinters, laying claim to three state titles.

During his senior year he won the Class 1A crown 100-meter dash (10.75) at the 2018 FHSAA State Track & Field Championships. He also was a member of the school’s medalist 4×100 relay team that won back-to-back state crowns in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The Zephyrhills native has made plenty of strides since, now morphing into one of the nation’s top college sprinters as a rising junior at NCAAA Division I University of South Carolina track and field program.

His present bests thus far are 10.39-second 100-meter dash, 20.93 200-meter dash, and 6.73 60-meter dash.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy graduate Evan Miller is now one of the nation’s top collegiate sprinters at the NCAA Division I University of South Carolina. The rising junior mainly competes in the 60-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter races. He aspires to run professionally and qualify for the Olympics. (Courtesy of University of South Carolina athletics department)

To put that in context, Miller’s 200-meter personal record was the 26th fastest-time recorded in the 2019-2020 NCAA Division I men’s indoor track ranks. Moreover, it’s the sixth-fastest time in South Carolina program history.

After finishing 19th in the 200 meters at the 2020 SEC (Southeastern Conference) Indoor Championships in late February, the sprinter was poised for a promising outdoor track season.

Then COVID-19 happened, cutting short the remainder of his sophomore campaign.

“It was really disappointing, because the 200 (meter), I was actually decreasing my time like every meet,” Miller said. “I was ready to run outdoor and try to make it to nationals in one of my events…so there were just a lot of plans for the outdoor season that we didn’t get to do, unfortunately, so it was tough.”

Since the spring college athletics season was canceled — and classes headed virtual — Miller has been keeping in shape in his hometown, linking up with his private track coach Bernard “BB” Roberts, who runs the Wesley Chapel-based Speed Starz Track/Running Club.

The two have been training together since March, regularly practicing two-a-days in the mornings and evenings.

With parks closed throughout much of the pandemic, Miller was relegated to working out on grass fields until Roberts was able to get permission to use Wiregrass Ranch High School’s track and field complex a few weeks ago.

However and wherever Miller trains, Roberts sees this time as a prime opportunity to improve, estimating most college track athletes are simply taking this summer off.

Roberts explained, “I basically talk him into it, ‘Hey, keep going. We have our goals in place. Don’t let this pandemic that we’re going through right now mess you up. Use this time to your advantage. Use the time to get better. Let’s get ahead of the game, keep training.’”

Fine-tuning his form
Together, they’ve been working on such details as block starts, posture, arm swing action, and relaxation techniques.

“A lot of stuff goes into speed, working faster,” said Roberts, a former college sprinter who claimed multiple track records from his time at Wesley Chapel High School in the early 2000s. “The average person thinks you just take off from ‘Point A’ to the finish line, and it doesn’t work like that at all. There’s a lot of strategy and lots of technique that’s never-ending.”

Wesley Chapel-based athletic trainer Bernard ‘BB’ Roberts has organized workouts for Evan Miller locally since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. (File)

Besides his burgeoning college career, Miller is thinking bigger picture.

He hopes to run professionally someday, traveling the world competing against other elite athletes.

The local track star looks to be on the right path. He recently was extended an invitation to register as a potential participant for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which has tentatively been moved to 2021.

To qualify for the U.S. Olympics Team Trials, rescheduled to June 2021, Miller has to reach certain benchmarks in whichever events he chooses to run. For instance, he may need to run 10 seconds flat in the 100-meter dash or a 20.3 200-meter dash.

With additional time on his side, being on the U.S. Olympics Team’s radar has given him extra motivation to live out his dream.

“I definitely want to compete in the Olympics,” Miller said. “(The invitation) gave me a lot of hope, gave me a lot of confidence, seeing that all my work’s paying off. I was really excited to get that email. It just made me want to work harder and practice my craft more, and get better until then.”

His private coach has no doubt Miller has the talent to achieve those goals.

“He definitely has the potential to be an Olympian,” Roberts said, confidently.

Aside from having an ideal body frame, stride length and athleticism, Miller’s greatest quality might be his willingness and dedication to learn, Roberts said.

“He definitely has the work ethic,” the coach said. “He has an open mind to receive or take criticism. I’m hard on him for a reason, and he’s willing to take that and use it as motivation, which is what I like about him.”

Miller got a taste of what it takes to become a world-class sprinter during the July Fourth weekend.

Competing at the V12 Athletics Summer Games in Alachua, Miller raced alongside world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Steven Gardiner (Bahamas), Asa Guevara (Trinidad and Tobago) and Quantaveon Poole (United States) in the 300-meter dash. Miller placed fourth among the group, clocking 35.44 seconds. Gardiner won the race in 31.83 — setting a new Bahamian national record in the process.

It marked Miller’s first time lacing up spikes and competing in an official race since the SEC Indoor Championships. It also served as a barometer of where he stands in comparison to some  top-ranked pros.

“It was pretty cool, to have an opportunity to race them and compete with them,” said Miller. “It felt really good to be able to run again, and be able to compete again against other runners.”
Meanwhile, Miller is looking forward to heading back up to Columbia, South Carolina, by summer’s end, where he can rejoin his Gamecock teammates and have access to the athletic program’s nutritionist, rehabilitation and training resources. He’s also poised to add to his family’s legacy at South Carolina. His father, Selvesta, played football at South Carolina from 1994 to 1997 and later spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

“It’s been a good experience for me,” Miller said of his college career thus far. “It’s just like crazy to think that I turned out at South Carolina from ZCA. It was just one of those dream schools to go to because my dad played there and everything, so it’s just great to see that I’m doing things like this.”

Published July 22, 2020

State champion gymnast has bigger dreams in sight

October 10, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

Zachary Myers’ gymnastics talent became apparent early on.

When he was just 3, he was doing flips on the couch and performing perfect cartwheels throughout the family’s Lutz home, his parents said.

He’d even tumble around the fields at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex during his Lutz Little League baseball days.

“We could see the natural ability in him,” said his father, Andy Myers. “He’s just got freakish ability.”

Zachary Myers, 10, of Lutz, has won three state titles and two regionals titles as a Level 4, 6 and 7 gymnast. On Oct. 13, he’ll compete in the 2018 Region 8 Future Stars and Technical Sequence Evaluation at Evo’s Gymnastics, in Sarasota. (Courtesy of the Myers family)

During four years of organized gymnastics, the 10-year-old has racked up his fair share of accolades.

He’s captured three state titles and two regional titles as a Level 4, 6 and 7 gymnast, along with winning numerous other local events.

His biggest achievement so far came last November.

That’s when he made the USA Gymnastics National U10 Development Team, after a 14th place finish at the Future Stars National Championships at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Only the top 16 finishers earned a spot on the development team.)

Zachary’s next big event comes Oct. 13, when he’ll compete in the 2018 Region 8 Future Stars and Technical Sequence Evaluation at Evo’s Gymnastics, in Sarasota.

Scoring at least a 76 will again get him to the Future Stars National Championships.

A trip back to Colorado Springs is well within reach.

Zachary recently posted an 82 at the Florida Future Stars Evaluation — the highest mark in the state.

He’s shooting for an even higher score at the region qualifier, as he fine-tunes his training at LaFluer’s Gymnastics, in Tampa.

Said Zachary: “My goal is to get an 85 at regionals. That is a 9.2 average. My coach also wants me to get that to try to make that my goal.”

The young gymnast doesn’t have to look far to see where he gets some of his talent.

His mother, Deanna Myers, herself is a former gymnast and a two-time member of the USA Women’s Junior Olympic Team.

Forced to retire at 18 due to nagging wrist and ankle injuries, she coached and judged gymnastics throughout nursing school.

Deanna, however, was always hesitant about putting Zachary into gymnastics, understanding the  commitment and dedication required for success.

She finally agreed after Zachary’s relentless pleading to get lessons.

Deanna explained: “I didn’t want Zachary missing out on things. When he first said he wanted to do gymnastics, I just kind of brushed it off. But, he consistently asked me for six months straight and then I was like, ‘OK, maybe I need to go ahead and take him.’”

Zachary’s passion for gymnastics remains strong
Though he sometimes misses playing baseball and time for other activities, he wouldn’t trade gymnastics for anything.

“I mean, I really like doing it. It’s just really fun once you get like really good at it,” Zachary said, noting he gets a lot of support from his fellow teammates at LaFleur’s.

His favorite event is the pommel horse, an apparatus fitted with a pair of curved handgrips, used for a gymnastic exercise consisting of swings of the legs and body.

“I like the agility if it. I get to move around and use my arms,” he said. “I used to play baseball and I used to have a lot of arm strength, and I like pommels because I can use my arms.”

That strength — combined with his mental focus and flexibility— has molded him into an elite gymnast for his age group.

LaFleur’s Gymnastics instructor Steven Schmerber said Zachary’s success is a “combination of a lot of things.

“He just kind of has this natural ability,” said Schmerber. “Even though all our other kids (at LaFluer’s) are still doing really well, he kind of has that little extra ‘oomph’ that just kind of pushes him a little bit.

“He’s a tiny dude—very flexible, very strong— so his strength to weight ratio is very big,” the coach added.

Hard work is also part of the equation.

Zachary practices six days a week, for more than 20 hours per week.

During the summer, he’ll practice as much as five hours per day.

When Zachary’s not perfecting his gymnastics routine, he’s buried in his studies.

As a fifth-grader at McKitrick Elementary School in Lutz, Zachary is a member of the National Elementary Honor Society. He has made the principal’s honor roll multiple times and he serves on the school’s safety patrol.

“He doesn’t need any push,” Deanna said. “He does everything without us asking him, so he’s self-motivated on his own. We don’t have to give him any pep talk. We don’t have to remind him to do anything. We don’t have to be concerned or ask him, ‘Hey, did you do your homework?’ because we already knows it’s been done.”

Deanna, meanwhile, is happy to see her son flourish in the sport she also loves. She’s his biggest fan and cheerleader.

“It’s exciting,” she said, “but I have to say, I’m more nervous watching him than when I ever was when I competed. My nerves are more watching him because I have no control, and I can’t go out on the floor.”

While many boys his age are wrapped up in video games and other toys, Zachary is mapping out his gymnastics future.

He’s shooting for a scholarship at Stanford, Michigan or Oklahoma universities.

He dreams of qualifying for the 2028 Summer Olympics and following in the footsteps of his idol, Sam Mikulak, a five-time U.S. national all-around champion and two-time Olympian.

His plan to achieve those lofty goals?

“Try my hardest,” he said, “and don’t give up.”

For information on Zachary’s fundraising efforts to nationals, visit tinyurl.com/ydhwpoxc.

Published October 10, 2018

Primary Sidebar

Search

The Recap Presents…

Sponsored Content

Affordable Living At Club Wildwood

July 26, 2022 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Older adults in central and east Pasco County are discovering the charming manufactured home community of Club Wildwood … [Read More...] about Affordable Living At Club Wildwood

Jolie Smiles Helps Patients Rediscover Their Confidence

July 26, 2022 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Jolie Smiles, a denture and implant studio in Odessa, provides state-of-the-art dentistry and permanent solutions for … [Read More...] about Jolie Smiles Helps Patients Rediscover Their Confidence

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

08/07/2022 – Back to School Bash

The annual Back to School Bash at the Tampa Premium Outlets is scheduled for Aug. 7 from noon to 4 p.m. There will be kids activities, local family services, an interactive scavenger hunt, sports mascots, performers, and a business expo offering after-school programs, clubs, tutoring, health care and more.  Preregistration opens on June 16. Separate registration is required for a new, full-inclusion sensory area with access for neuro-diverse children. Visit EventBrite.com for more information. … [Read More...] about 08/07/2022 – Back to School Bash

08/08/2022 – Afterschool snacks

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host Chef Yamira Lee Johnson on Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m., for a demonstration on easy, healthy recipes kids and parents can make for an afterschool bite. This is an online program for all ages. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 08/08/2022 – Afterschool snacks

08/09/2022 – Butterfly gardening

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host a master gardener presentation on butterfly gardening on Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/09/2022 – Butterfly gardening

08/09/2022 – Coffee with a deputy

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office will host “Coffee with PSO” on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Wawa, 25155 Maren Way in Lutz. Deputies will be on hand to answer questions and to get to know the community. … [Read More...] about 08/09/2022 – Coffee with a deputy

08/09/2022 – Native Plant Society

The Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will meet on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. There will be showing of the 2018 American documentary, “The Serengeti Rules,” directed by Nicolas Brown and based on the book by Sean B. Carroll. The film explores the discoveries of five pioneering scientists: Bob Paine, Jim Estes, Anthony Sinclair, John Terborgh and Mary E. Power. Popcorn will be provided. For information, call 813-469-9597. … [Read More...] about 08/09/2022 – Native Plant Society

08/09/2022 – Transportation stories

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will present story times on the topic of transportation on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10. Toddlers can attend at 10:15 a.m., and preschoolers at 11:15 a.m. The 45-minutes sessions will include songs, stories and movement. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/09/2022 – Transportation stories

More of What's Happening

Follow us on Twitter

The Laker/Lutz News Follow

Your home for weekly news that impacts your life and community. Serving Land O' Lakes, Lutz, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

LakerLutzNews
Retweet on Twitter The Laker/Lutz News Retweeted
wfla WFLA NEWS @wfla ·
15h

79-year-old Lutz man dies in Montana climbing incident https://bit.ly/3d18wxQ

Reply on Twitter 1556225341940711425 Retweet on Twitter 1556225341940711425 2 Like on Twitter 1556225341940711425 2 Twitter 1556225341940711425
Retweet on Twitter The Laker/Lutz News Retweeted
zephyrhillscity City of Zephyrhills-Government @zephyrhillscity ·
6 Aug

The next @ZephyrhillsCity Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 at 6:00 PM at the #Zephyrhills City Hall Council Chambers, 5335 8th Street.

Meeting agenda packet: http://ow.ly/sqFR50KcJxG

Questions? Contact the City Clerk's office at 813-780-0000.

Reply on Twitter 1555962050114985985 Retweet on Twitter 1555962050114985985 2 Like on Twitter 1555962050114985985 Twitter 1555962050114985985
Retweet on Twitter The Laker/Lutz News Retweeted
hillsboroughsch Hillsborough Schools @hillsboroughsch ·
5 Aug

Tonight @Publix surprised the @SteinbrennerFB team after catching wind of their Shopping Cart Test. Publix VP Sam Pero gave the team their very own shopping cart lapel pin, a $1,000 check, and of course, some Pub Subs. 👐🛒💚

#Publix #ShoppingCartTest #Warriors #Football

Reply on Twitter 1555345095624458241 Retweet on Twitter 1555345095624458241 16 Like on Twitter 1555345095624458241 62 Twitter 1555345095624458241
Load More

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2022 Community News Publications Inc.

    Doc