Kruger dedicated on and off track

BY JOBY FAWCETT

Times-Shamrock Writer

Zach Kruger can never be accused of not working for everything he has earned.

As a track and field athlete, his dedication in practice has led the Blue Ridge senior to become one of the top all-around performers in the Lackawanna Track Conference.

Off the track, Kruger spends several nights a week making pizza and scrubbing dishes, working at Armetta’s Pizzeria and Pub in New Milford, which is owned by assistant coach Sal Armetta.

And it doesn’t matter to him – whether it is in athletics or earning his keep – he pours everything he has into being the best he can be.

“He is very dedicated and very polite,” Blue Ridge coach Joe Kempa said. “He really works hard. That makes him an excellent role model for the younger kids.

“He’s a top-notch kid all around.”

Pizza by Zach

When he moved to Blue Ridge from Mid Valley after his freshman year, Kruger already had a budding track career as a hurdler.

But he needed a job.

His personality doesn’t allow him to depend on anybody for anything, especially when it comes to money.

“I’m looking more toward college and trying to earn and save money,” Kruger said. “I like being independent and not have to rely on my dad. I try not to worry him about those things.

“I’m also pretty stingy about my money. I save it pretty well.”

That’s how Armetta, who coaches Kruger in the hurdles, came into the picture.

Like any new employee, Kruger had to start at the bottom. His duties included collecting and washing dishes and taking out the trash on some of the busiest nights for the restaurant.

Then learning how to make a pizza began to pique his interest and he began to climb the ladder.

With a little help from Armetta and his co-workers, Kruger attacked the dough, like he does a flight of 10 hurdles.

“Sal really makes the pizzas fast, and that was interesting,” Kruger said. “He and the cooks taught me when to use pressure on the dough. You have to work the dough into the shape you want. You have to add everything just right. Even the amount of sauce is important, because you have to know what is good for the customer.

“More importantly, you have to learn how long to cook a pizza. You have to be able to time it right and still multi-task in the kitchen.”

So far, his pizza pies are pretty good.

“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Zach for the last three years and working with him the last two years,” Armetta said. “He’s a very hard worker and he is very passionate about things that he likes. He excels at whatever he puts his mind to and he does so in a very humble and respectful manner.

“And he’s become a pretty good pizza maker, too.”

Clearing hurdles

Just as his ascension to making pizza in the kitchen took some time, so, too, did his skills as a hurdler.

In his seventh-grade season at Mid Valley, he tried going over a hurdle at the 50-yard line of the football field, which offered a softer cushion for those who couldn’t make it.

Displaying some of the natural techniques, Kruger easily mastered the event.

Then, at the District 2 championship meet, he clipped a hurdle.

It was a pain he never forgot and a fear that has driven him through each and every flight since.

“I fell right on my face,” he recalled. “That picture is still in my head. I try my best not to repeat that. I remember being embarrassed and disappointed. The track was definitely not as soft as the football field.”

It didn’t take long for him to use that motivation to his advantage, becoming one of the best hurdlers in the conference.

Last season, he earned All-Region honors after winning the conference title in both the 110-meter and 300 hurdles, while adding a District 2 Class AA gold medal in the 300 hurdles.

Drive to succeed

On the track or in the kitchen, Kruger is focused on success.

This season, he has run the fastest times in the LTC Division III in the two hurdles races and the 200-meter dash, while also being a member of the division’s top 400 relay.

His goals are set very high, based on what he accomplished last season.

And Kruger does plenty of scouting, a habit the 17-year-old picked up very early, so he will know just how fast he will have to go to get back on the medal stand.

“Every day I get the paper and I read the sports section and highlight and underline every hurdlers’ time,” Kruger said. “I used to have a notebook and I would keep track of everybody in the district. They were the guys who I really looked up to.

“I just want to do better than I did last year.”

That is something his hard work should allow him to achieve.