In The Nest: Zaresha Neal Discusses Outstanding Career, MAC Championships, and More!
Medical Mutual
5/8/2023
Zaresha Neal (Findlay, Ohio) is one of the most decorated athletes in Bowling Green history, earning All-American honors once, All-MAC honors four times, and MAC Field Athlete of the Week nine times. She’s been equally impressive in the classroom, winning Scholar-Athlete awards on a conference and national level. Neal, who enters her final MAC Championships as the top-ranked shot put and discus thrower in the conference, took some time to answer some questions before the postseason begins!
Q: You are from Findlay, Ohio. What is something people should know about your hometown?
Neal: Findlay is the home of the two best ice cream shops in the area, Archie’s and Dietsch Brothers. My favorite thing to get from Archie’s is the s’mores flurry with sprinkles. Archie’s has the best sprinkles in town! Dietsch Brothers, on the other hand, are a different story. They also have the best ice cream with the addition of a candy shop attached to both of their locations. My favorite thing to get from there is chocolate covered pretzels, I promise it is worth the trip. Trust me, you will not want to share them with anyone, rather share the story of how good they were after you’ve eaten them!
Q: How did you first get into Track and Field, and when did you realize it was possible to continue competing at the collegiate level?
Neal: My sister Kyesha Pollitz (Neal) was a shot put and discus thrower growing up. I tried cheerleading, softball, and volleyball in middle school. Then when the springtime rolled around, I tried out for the track and field team as a thrower, as my sister was a thrower as well, and fell in love with it! It was the one sport that piqued my interest the most. From that point on, I made the decision to commit to Track and Field because I knew that I needed to be good at a sport if I wanted to go to college.
All throughout high school, I prayed that I would be good enough to eventually compete in college. God answered my prayers, and I was blessed by the coaching staff at Findlay High School to train me at the next level, specifically David Sprouse. It was awesome to see how God put the pieces together. Coach Sprouse is the one who taught me how to throw a shot put and discus in the seventh grade. Then over the years, he moved onto other schools to pursue other positions. During my junior year of high school, he noticed that there was a job opening for the throws coach position at Findlay High School. He accepted the position towards the end of my junior year, and I had the opportunity to train with him one last time before going to college. At this point, my distances were not college worthy at all, but I still had faith to keep going. Coach Sprouse and I worked diligently throughout the summer and by the end of my senior year, I had broken both school records and finished my senior year with the coach that taught me how to throw. It is amazing to see how God always a plan has even when we can’t see the finish line ahead. I had faith that His plan and timing was and still is greater than my own. As a result, God showed His glory and greatness through my achievements, and continues to do so.
Q: In February, you won the MAC title in the shot put. Not only was it your second consecutive conference title, but you won at home. What was that experience like?
Neal: The experience of winning the MAC title at home was very humbling. It is a true honor to do what I love with the support of my family (Abram Cunningham, Kim Neal, Michael Neal, Kyesha Pollitz, Joel Pollitz, Amaya Pollitz, Joseph Pollitz, and Zion Pollitz) and my teammates. My teammates and family are always the loudest and proudest everywhere we go, especially when we are hosting the MAC Championships in our house!
Q: In 2022, you earned second-team All-American honors. How did it feel when you realized you had earned that honor?
Neal: After earning such a prestigious award, I began to look back on all the late nights, tears, and sacrifices that I made to earn this award. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be on the forefront of achieving my goals. In 2019, I had shoulder surgery. There were times that I didn’t think that I was going to throw as far as I did prior to surgery. I didn’t; I threw further. I knew that when I got the surgery that God was going to give me the spirit to keep pushing forward, complete my shoulder rehab, and come back stronger and better than I was before, but pain free. It is honestly beautiful to see my story has unfolded over the years and I am beyond blessed to have those experiences here at BGSU.
Q: This season, you have been named MAC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week all five times you’ve been nominated. What has been the key to your consistent success?
Neal: There is no secret formula to earning these awards. It is just purely being committed to the sport, loving the sport, and respecting it enough to give it my all when I compete at every meet. Consistency and discipline set the foundation for me to kick start my journey as an athlete. There are days that I don’t want to practice but I do it anyway. There are days I don’t want to lift, but I do it anyways because I have sacrificed too much to not give my 100% with everything and anything that I do, both athletically and academically.
Q: You’ve also received numerous academic accolades during your time at BGSU, including the BGSU Medal of Honor and Chi Alpha Sigma Scholar-Athlete of the Year. What helps you balance the workload between academics and athletics?
Neal: The best thing that keeps me grounded is most definitely my faith in Jesus. When I look at my workload from an academic and athletics perspective it immediately be overwhelming and a lot to take in. Then when those tasks and expectations are filtered through my faith in Jesus it does not seem so overwhelming. The best way that I stay organized is to use three different calendars: academic calendar, sports calendar, and personal calendar. Each week I would look at all three calendars and see what needed to be completed or places that I needed to be. From there I would plan my week out accordingly, while maintain rest, proper fueling for my body, and personal time with Jesus to make sure that I could make it to the next week. I am a huge planner!
Q: When you think about your time as a Falcon, what moment sticks out as the most memorable?
Neal: The most memorable time here as a Falcon was when I broke the school record in the discus. We were going to the Last Chance Meet in Michigan right before MAC Championships in 2022. My former coach, Derrick Vicars, looked at me and said, “We need to do this meet because there won’t be any excuses.” I nodded my head and laughed. Next thing you know, I threw discus school record, 55.34 meters. God had a plan in it all.
Q: You just received your MBA from BGSU. What would like to do when your athletic career concludes?
Neal: After the conclusion of my athletic career, I will be a Human Resources Information System Analyst at the University of Findlay. Then I will be getting married on October 14, 2023, to my fiancé, Abram Cunningham! I am excited for the next chapter in my life. BGSU has been an incredibly fun chapter that I will always cherish.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Falcon Track and Field program?
Neal: My favorite thing about being a part of the Track and Field program is that I get to perfect my craft everyday while connecting with my teammates from all different walks of life. I love the team culture because we are always supporting one another on and off the field.
Q: Who inspired you the most athletically growing up?
Neal: The individual that inspired me the most growing has been my sister, Kyesha Pollitz (Neal). She is the whole reason I started throwing. Ever since I saw her throwing shot put and discus in the eighth grade, I could not wait to be in the seventh grade to begin throwing just like her. Then she went onto Findlay High School, and she broke the school record. To follow, she also broke the school record at the school up north, where she attended college. That throw landed her at nationals in Eugene Oregon. I thought to myself, if she can do it, so can I. After following in her footsteps at the beginning, I began to take my own steps by breaking her shot record at Findlay High School and breaking the discus record. Then it’s even funnier that we both have held a collegiate school record in the discus. I am beyond grateful to have a sister that was able to unlock one of my talents that I didn’t know I had.
Q: Do you have any pre-meet superstitions or routines?
Neal: I do not have any pre-meet routines. I just make sure that I eat a hearty meal that has some type of meat in it before I compete.
Q: What is your go-to meal?
Neal: A Chick-fil-A number one with extra Chick-fil-A sauce and a frosted strawberry lemonade. Yummy. Please feel free to show up to the MAC Championship in Akron, Ohio with this order.
Q: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Neal: Coach Lou Snelling.
Q: Describe Coach Marcus Myers in one sentence?
Neal: A sour patch kid that likes to use the phrase, “100%.”
Q: What is one goal you’d like to achieve at MACs?
Neal: I would like to see our team be in the top three.
