By Rubin E. Grant
For Hoover senior Zander Dakis, running is more mental than physical. That’s why he prefers cross-country to track.
“Cross-country is more of a mindset sport,” Dakis said. “In track, it’s a lot about leg speed. If you mess up one bit, you can’t recover. In cross-country, it’s a mindset race. If you mess up, you still have time to recover.”
Dakis didn’t need to recover in his first race of the 2023 cross-country season. He simply ran, delivering a career-best performance.
Dakis clocked 15:29.85 at the Bob Blastow Meet at McIntosh Nature Preserve in Whitesburg, Georgia. He finished fifth at the meet, but his time was more than 30 seconds faster than any other Alabama runner during the opening weekend of the season. Dakis also improved his personal best by nearly 30 seconds.
“It was a like a big Georgia race,” Dakis said. “I went into it not looking to run a 15:29. I just wanted to start off the season with a sub-16:00 and have a solid effort.”
That plan changed during the course of the race.
“I went out slow like I normally do,” Dakis said. “The guys in front of me were not going crazy fast. After the first mile I was at 4:52 and I said, ‘that’s not bad.’ Then came mile two and I was at 9:42. I knew I wasn’t feeling like I was tired, so I told myself, ‘Hold on any way I can.’ So I just kept going. Then I got to 4K and it was only a 5K race, and I came through with a personal record.”
Dakis didn’t run as fast in his next two races. He finished eighth in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational with a time of 15:46.44 on Sept. 9 at Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
Last Saturday, he finished fourth with a time of 16:08.59 in the Black & Gold Classic at John R. Esslinger Trail of Champions in Scottsboro. Scottsboro’s Stephen Jones won with a time of 15:31.35.
As a team, Hoover finished second with 70 points, behind Mountain Brook with 54 points.
Routine’s the Thing
The 5-foot-7, 125-pound Dakis has been running since the seventh grade.
“That’s when I really started to race,” he said. “I ran some 5K races with my church when I was probably 10 or so.
“I used to play soccer, as well. In the seventh grade, I started leaning toward running more. I just enjoyed it a little more.”
The reason he enjoyed it more was the mental preparation.
“I really like keeping everything the same and being mentally prepared,” he said. “With my workouts during the week, I try to get to my pace and not miss a beat. The day before a race I usually eat the same thing, do a liquid IV or some Pedialyte. The day of the race, I talk a little to my teammates during warm-ups, then I get a decent way away so I can focus. I always have an awareness of who I’m running against.
“I always look at it that if I have a good mentality, anything is possible. I try to run a smart race and do what I can do.”
Dakis also does weightlifting with friends and cross-training on a bike or swimming to enhance his stamina.
Hoover cross-country coach Chris Schmidt is not surprised by Dakis’ mental approach to the sport.
“Zander lives and breathes cross-country and distance running,” Schmidt said. “He does all the little things right with his mileage, his pace and the way he communicates with his teammates. Those are all the little things that help you become a great runner.”
Schmidt believes Dakis will be able to take his skills to the next level.
“He’ll definitely run in college,” Schmidt said. “I think he’ll do well on that level, especially the 8K and 10K they run. He excels at longer distances.”
Dakis is going through the recruiting process.
“I’ve been looking at Lee University a good bit, but I’m still keeping my options open, going on visits,” he said. “I’m going to UNA next week, then to Boston Friday-Sunday to visit Suffolk University.”
Meanwhile, Dakis wants to keep pushing himself to lower his times.
“I want to get as close as possible to (the) school record of 15:05,” he said.
Robert Bedsore, who is a two-time state champion, in 2003 and 2004, holds the Hoover school record for 5,000 meters, set in 2004. Dakis is now second with 15:29.85.
Dakis also would like to win the Class 7A individual state title and help Hoover win a team title for the first time since 2007. The state meet is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Moulton.
Dakis finished a disappointing 20th in the 2022 Class 7A state meet with a time of 16:15.64.
“I didn’t race great last year, but I think it’s a possibility that I could win it this year,” Dakis said. “I’ve got to keep working hard and keep the same mentality. It’s not going to come easy. Anybody can win the race. It’s a matter who has a good day.”
