Malvern Prep swimmer Zach Maher is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The Malvern Prep junior is a High School All American as member of the Friars’ school record-holding 200 free relay and 200 medley relay teams. As Easterns, he placed third, fourth and seventh as member of Malvern Prep relays and placed sixth in the 100 fly. He was a leader on Malvern Prep’s Inter-Ac championship swimming and diving team. An honors student, he is also a starter on Malvern Prep’s championship water polo team.
Q: You helped three Malvern Prep relay teams finish in the top seven, and finished sixth in the 100 fly at Easterns. What, to you, was your best race at Easterns? What was your most vivid memory of that race, and what was the key to your success that day?
A: This year’s Easterns was an interesting one for our team. With the absence of a few key guys for relays because of sickness, it made it difficult to adjust. My favorite, and best, event of the meet was the 400 freestyle relay. It’s the very last event and all I remember is a roar of screams and clapping before it began. The race itself was a blur but I vividly remember being extremely happy with how we had done. Each kid on the relay did a best time and that made it really special.
Q: What has been your most memorable experience in your Malvern Prep swimming career?
A: The most memorable moment I have so far at Malvern has to be jumping in the pool after winning the Inter-Ac, and I’ve been lucky enough to be on the winning team for the third year in a row. It’s a tradition to push the coaches in fully clothed.
Q: Who have been your biggest swimming mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: All my coaches, [head coach Jay] Schiller, [Pete] Lee, and [Paul] Hornsleth, have helped me immensely this season with stroke work and maintaining focus on the “end goal”. Coach Lee taught me to always have a “FIRE” (Focus. Integrity. Respect. Enthusiasm.) finish, something we practice every day.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation the day of a meet.
A: The day of the meet, I usually eat some eggs for breakfast, and get psyched in the car blasting music with my dad.
Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?
A: A typical week for me includes usually a total of seven practices in the pool (some a.m. practices) and a day or two of dryland – the swimmer term for weight training or resistance work.
Q: What do you think is your best event (relay or individual), and what do you think are your particular keys to success in that event?
A: Our 200 medley relay this year was by far our strongest event, we had an extremely talented group of guys. Our success was definitely a result of the way the four of us got along together and we were able to reflect that relationship in the pool by going all out every time we swam that relay.
Q: Your coach mentions that the Friars will be counting on your leadership next winter, and that you are a junior leader on the Malvern squad. How do you see your leadership role on this year’s Malvern swim team?
A: I’m flattered, I believe honestly that this year I was able to relate to everyone on the team. This made it easy to talk to guys about their swim or help them with anything they needed. I picture my role on the team as someone who contributed to the cohesiveness of the group, and I think this helped us perform really well.
Q: What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?
A: Definitely stroke work and flexibility, you can never drill too much technique.
Q: What pool did you first swim for? What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: I grew up swimming for the Phoenixville YMCA which was awesome, it’s like a family there. We would always travel to the University of Maryland for “Winterfest” a very fun and fast meet, and it also happens to be my favorite pool
Q: You play field in water polo, which basically means an outside shooter. What do you like best about that position? What has been the most memorable moment of your Malvern Prep water polo career?
A: I love being on the outside, it’s an action-filled position. My favorite memory from water polo so far has to be Coach Kain’s (Assistant Coach) metaphors in practice, just ask Coach Schiller, he’s full of them.
Q: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you might want to major in at college?
A: Well, I’ve got my college list narrowed down to about 27 (haha), but I really like Navy. I’d really like to go where I’ll be happiest. I think I’d like to major in something to do with Architecture or Engineering, maybe even Finance.
Q: What is your favorite school subject?
A: My favorite subject is definitely chemistry, it’s always a great time in the lab.
Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Malvern Prep? What sparked your interest in these activities?
A: I also play varsity rugby, I’m a pretty physical kid so that lets me satisfy that front. I also am in Chorus and do the Malvern Theater Society, and I’m also in Diversity Club. It’s all really fun and a great way to meet new kids especially from other schools.
Fun facts – Zach Maher
Favorite book: Harry Potter.
Favorite author: JK Rowling.
Favorite TV show: Family Guy.
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans.
Favorite athlete: Henrik Harlaut (freestyle skier.)
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Meek Mill – Dreams and Nightmares.
Favorite team: “Your Philadelphia Eagles.”
Favorite place to visit: The Midwest, specifically Colorado, Utah or Wyoming – “I love the mountains.”
Favorite pre-meet meal: “Eggs, eggs, eggs.”
Favorite color: Blue.
Birth date: Nov. 20, 1998 in Royersford.
Family members: Mom, Dad, Ryan (14), Kylie (11).
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
