January Athlete Spotlight: Zac Bonzheim

Name: Zac Bonzheim
Year: Sophomore
Major: International Relations
Hometown: Manistee, MI
High School: Manistee HS
Height: 5’10

​Our first Spotlight Athlete for 2018 is Zac Bonzheim, a transfer sophomore, currently rowing with the novice squad. How he came to MSU – and rowing – is a clear example of unlikely opportunities after unlucky circumstances. Through his high school career Zac was a star soccer athlete, highly recruited (including a recruit trip to MSU) and with multiple D1 soccer scholarship offers. A serious injury in his senior year cost him the majority of these offers, and so he ended up going to the University of Findlay in Ohio to pursue his dream. After a year in Ohio, Zac decided that home and family were more important to him than soccer, and so he followed in his family’s footsteps and enrolled at MSU for his sophomore year.

​MSU is a natural fit for Zac, once he arrived he found that the bigger school actually felt more connected and personal to him. MSU is big enough to create its own community, and within that community everyone is an MSU sports fan. ​Sports fandom (specifically MSU basketball) has been a huge part of Zac’s life since childhood, when he can remember watching “basically every game” with his dad. This year Zac has been to every home game (save Northern Florida), cheering loudly from the Izzone. Of the current players, Zac most admires Cassius Winston for his “clutch” gene – seemingly always coming through when it matters most. His all-time favorite player is Kalin Lucas forever immortalized for his alleyoops to Durrell Summers and heroics in the 2009 NCAA tournament (remembered somewhat less fondly by certain UConn fans within the Crew Club coaching staff).  

One of Zac’s first priorities upon arriving at MSU was to find a new sport; he knew he didn’t want to just sit around and play videogames when he wasn’t in class. At Sparticipation he met Crew Club senior Cody Gall, and the rest is history. Now Zac is an avid rower, putting in the sweat and the work this Winter in hopes of a successful Spring. He fuels up for his workouts primarily with meals he cooks for himself (he lives off campus), but admits that he will indulge in Hungry Howie’s from time to time, drawn by the siren call of the ranch crust pizza. When he’s neither in class nor at Demonstration Hall working out, more often than not you can find Zac working to uphold his king of the court status on the basketball courts at IM West. Given his determination and pedigree, I would count on Zac coming through both on the court and for the Crew Club!

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