Extra Effort winner Zettel never a fish out of water when it comes to setting a standard

By Jared Fialko

For someone who makes a habit out of beating the clock, sometimes there simply aren't enough hours in the day for Brooke Zettel.

"I practice 7:30 to 9:30 and then sometimes I have lifting after, which is from 9:30 to 10:30, and sometimes I go to 11ish," lists Extra Effort Award Winner Brooke Zettel, as she runs down her average day. "After that I'll do some schoolwork and then I'll normally work 4-to-5 hours, then come home, go to sleep, and do it all over again the next day."

The Apex Friendship senior squeezes every ounce from every second at her disposal without sacrificing a single digit from her 3.82 GPA. Be it volunteering with the next generation of champions, working a part-time job at Crumbl Cookies, or Brooke's lesser-known passion of dance.

"She has become one of those students that we point to as somebody who's really been able to find balance," says Michael Wight, Apex Friendship High School Principal. "Not just being an elite athlete, but also being involved in her community."

Nowhere does Zettel feel more at home than in the water. A three-time record-breaking state champion in the 200 meter Individual Medley.  Bound for the University of Florida in August for college, and Omaha in June for Olympic Trials.

"It's so scary, people keep telling me it's four weeks away, three weeks away, it doesn't feel real yet," smiles Zettel.

"She'll have not only the Apex Friendship swim team, but the high school and the town of Apex, her TAC (Triangle Aquatic Center) community," says Morgan Rutledge, Apex Friendship High School swim coach. "So, there are really gonna be a lot of people excited to watch her."

Never a fish out of water when it comes to setting a standard.

"She sets the bar for some of our younger kids, and she's been an outstanding role model," nods Wight.

​Which is why we're proud to call red, white, and blue hopeful Brooke Zettel a winner of the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award.