Zach Ayers

Class:
Junior
Events:
Distance
Hometown:
Davis, Calif.
Height:
5-9
High School:
Davis Senior
Squadron:
22 Raptors

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

All-Mountain West, Cross Country (2024)

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2023-24: Competed in eh 5000-meter run during four outdoor meets…recorded a career-best time of 13:54.61 to win the Bryan Clay Invitational…debuted at-No. 15 on the Academy’s all-time standings with that performance…finished second out of 210 runners at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic (14:07.44)…recorded another runner-up finish at the Franson Last Chance Meet, using a time of 13:57.64 to finish second in the 110-runner field…opened the outdoor season with a 1500-meter run at the Spank Blasing Invitational (3:56.88, adjusted for altitude)...competed once during the indoor season, clocking a 5000-meter time of 14:42.60 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener…academic all-conference.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2022-23: Competed in three indoor and four outdoor meets…clocked a career-best 3000-meter time of 8:17.35 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational…ran a personal-best time of 14:22.93 in the outdoor 5000-meter run at the Bryan Clay Invitational…added a career-best 1500-meter time of 4:03.47 (adjusted for altitude) at the Air Force Twilight Open…academic all-conference selection.

MAJOR CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS: All-conference honoree as a junior…earned second-team status after placing ninth at the 2024 Mountain West Championships…was the Falcons’ top finisher in the final three meets of 2024, including the conference and regional championships.

HIGH SCHOOL: Davis Senior High School…claimed All-America honors in the two-mile run at Nike Outdoor Nationals in back-to-back years (2021, 2022)…set a personal-best time of 8:58 at the 2022 meet…California DI state champion in the 3200-meter run as a senior, following an 8:56 performance…also claimed three CIF Sac-Joaquin Section titles that year (cross country, 1600-meter run, 3200-meter run)…finished 21st at the 2021 Eastbay Nationals…posted a career-best cross country 5K of 14:53 at the league championship meet.

PERSONAL: Full name is Zachary Robert Ayers…goes by Zach…nickname is “Oonga”…son of Shaun and Joanne Ayers…father was a member of the football team at UC Davis…has one older sister…majoring in geospatial science…future plans include working in the intelligence field or becoming a pilot…named to the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List…currently serving as an Element Leader in squadron…earned Jump Wings in the summer of 2023…played lacrosse for six years before switching to track and cross country…hobbies include hunting, fishing, backpacking, freediving, and archery…uncle, Marc Gougeon, served in the Marines…has an aunt and uncle that played college sports – Jeremy Asher (football, Oregon), Bryn Asher (water polo, Santa Clara)…traveled to Joint Base Andrews, Md., for Operation Air Force over the summer…toured the D.C. National Guard, Air Force District of Washington headquarters, and received a tour of Washington D.C., and the surrounding areas in a UH-1N Huey helicopter, while on Ops…also worked as cadre during Basic Cadet Training, staffing the Basic Command Center…member of Cadet Squadron 22.