Zachary Caps Off All-American Career

Written by Kayla Brady, ICCAC Sports Information Assistant

To be named an NJCAA All American is an honor only a relative few two-year college athletes receive during their careers. Iowa Western's Michael Zachary not only earned NJCAA All-American honors once, but twice -- in two different sports, football and wrestling.

Starting his college journey, Zachary found himself at Grand View University (Iowa) in 2016. Nothing against the school, but Zachary decided to transfer after his first year: he always envisioned himself competing at a higher level than Grand View's NAIA-level of competition. Expecting more out of himself than what he originally committed to, he decided to make Iowa Western his new home.

A product of Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines, Zachary made the move to Council Bluffs in the fall of 2017 with the help of head wrestling coach Josh Watts and head football coach Scott Strohmeier. Upon arrival, he sat out the impending football season but began wrestling with the Reivers at the 149-pound weight class.

"[Transferring was] 100 percent the best decision I've ever made in my life," said Zachary, "NAIA prepared me for the next level as far as conditioning, but the competition level wasn't high enough for my standards. The NJCAA has prepared me more for what's next due to the competition. [The competition] is bigger, taller, faster."

Once he arrived at Iowa Western, Zachary began to put in any extra hours necessary to be successful on the field as well as on the mat. Not only did Zachary put in extra training hours in the gym or on the field, but he would also have to schedule individual practices with Coach Watts to make sure he'd still get some quality time on the mat. Training for two sports at one time can be difficult, considering the two require different athletic abilities.

"It's definitely hard, football shape and wrestling shape are two completely different things," said Zachary.

Zachary began wrestling in the spring semester of 2018, already with the prowess to compete at the NJCAA level, as he was a two-time Iowa High School state wrestling champion. At the 2018 NJCAA National Championships, Zachary was able to wrestle his way to a national runner-up finish in his first season. 

After his All-American wrestling season in 2018, Zachary would prepare and compete in what would be his lone football season of NJCAA competition. As a wide receiver and return specialist for the Reivers, Zachary finished the 2018 season as the second leading receiver for Iowa Western, catching 52 passes for 708 yards and a team-leading eight receiving touchdowns.

Although his receiving numbers were solid, they weren't what earned him his 2018 NJCAA Second Team All-American status. As a kick and punt returner, Zachary was among the nation's elite. He led the nation in punt return yards (407), and yards per return (10.4). Consistently, he put the Reiver offense in position to be successful.

Training correctly and providing the team with dedication was something Zachary attributed to his successes. Learning how to balance a healthy lifestyle when competing in two sports can a challenge, but for Zachary, it became second nature.

"Since I was a little kid, I've always trained the right way and done the right stuff," said Zachary.

He credited much of his success to his ability to balance. Balance helped Zachary in wrestling providing a steady base against his opponents. In football, balance helped Zachary collect himself and 'group together' to properly catch the ball as well as land softly. Furthermore, beyond the balance required on the field and on the mat, a two-sport student-athlete is a student first. For Zachary, he knew in able to have the opportunity to participate, he needed to be eligible. 

"You can't do sports without the academics," said Zachary. 

He emphasized the importance of attending class and completing homework assignments. After all, Zachary is right, he would not have been able to participate in the two sports without successfully completing his academics first.

Last weekend, Iowa Western hosted the NJCAA National Wrestling Championships at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. The Reivers placed tenth overall and in his final competition, after qualifying for Nationals with a second place finish at 157 to eventual National Champion, Ethan Karsten of Iowa Central, Zachary wrestled in five matches, earned a 3-2 record and reached the second round of consolation quarterfinals. Although his final match as a Reiver did not end in a victory, Zachary can still be proud of his achievements over the last two years.

Next year, Zachary can be found playing a level of completion he'd always dreamed of; he'll be suited up in purple and gold on the football field at the University of Northern Iowa in the fall of 2019. Zachary has plenty of experience in the UNI Dome, as he played there during state championships in high school as well as The Graphic Edge Bowl.

Becoming a two-sport All-American athlete is a rare accomplishment and Zachary is proud to be of the few who received these honors.