FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Just a few short years ago, Zander Cruzan had hardly ever raced the 400-meter dash.
Fast-forward a few electric track and field seasons later, he now finds himself on the roster of one of the top Division I teams in the nation as one of the top quarter-milers in the country. Earlier this summer, Cruzan signed on with the University of Arkansas, hoping to build on a burgeoning track career.
With the mountain of accolades piling up for the former Panthers standout during his time at the University of Northern Colorado, Cruzan opted to enter the transfer portal to test himself at a higher level.
Within hours of entering his name in the portal, the 2025 Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year received a deluge of contacts from programs across the country.
“It was overwhelming,” said Cruzan. “I’m grateful to have that many doors opened up to me.”
After narrowing his options and visiting some of his top choices, Cruzan settled on becoming a Razorback.
“Arkansas offered me the best opportunity to take my running career to the next level,” said Cruzan, alluding to the number of collegians-turned-pro that the program has produced. “I also love Fayetteville, and felt like they’ve got a lot of contributing factors that will set me up for success.”
After what Cruzan classified as a slow start to his outdoor track season, he started to flourish, setting the school record before later winning the 400 at the Big Sky Championships. “By the end of the season, I was running times that I had set out to achieve,” Cruzan added, “and ‘iron sharpens iron’ – running against the best brings out the best in me.”
He qualified for the NCAA West Region meet in College Station, Texas, at the end of May as one of the top 48 dashers in the western United States. He ultimately advanced out of the preliminary round with a personal best time of 45.61, good for eighth in the field.
Cruzan steps into a program immediately looking to contribute to a Razorback team that already sits among the top teams in the land. The Hogs finished one point shy of a national title in men’s outdoor track and field this spring, finishing in the top three for the second time in the last three years. Arkansas has also been a dominant force in the Southeastern Conference, arguably the deepest league in men’s track and field.
For as good as Cruzan was in high school, winning a pair of 3A state championships his senior year in the 200 and 400, the idea that he would now be a full-ride scholarship recipient at a major conference Division I program seemed a bit far-fetched. “I didn’t realize what I was capable of until I got into college athletics, but I started to learn what was possible,” said Cruzan.
His learning curve included becoming what he described as “maturing” into the event. “Originally, I had gone to UNC to be a short sprinter, so I had a lot of learn about my potential as a 400 runner, and I’m grateful to UNC for helping me get there,” said Cruzan.
In the meantime, the dreams continue to get bigger for Cruzan as he looks to help the Razorbacks to the top of the podium in both SEC and national competitions. Then, with the Los Angeles Olympic Games on the horizon in 2028, Cruzan sees his current personal best sitting just four-tenths of a second away from meeting the Olympic Trials “A” standard.
“There are so many things I want to achieve,” said Cruzan, “and I don’t ever want to sell myself short.”
Cruzan still stays close with legendary M-CHS coach Bob Archibeque and many of his former teammates with the orange-and-black, and attributes some of his additional growth to staying connected with his roots.
“He (Coach Archibeque) pointed me in the right direction from the start,” said Cruzan, “and I don’t know where I’d be without his mentoring – not just coaching me as an athlete, but teaching me to me a man.”
He indicates that the inspiration from Archibeque and other coaches as a guiding force toward him wanting to coach others when his own competitive days come to a close.
“I want to take this as far as I possibly can,” said Cruzan, while also recognizing that his whole life won’t be defined by personal bests and medals, “but I know it’s not the end-all, be-all, and I know that coaching would be a way of giving back to a sport that has meant so much to me.”
For right now, though, the future looks bright – Cruzan will don the cardinal red and white of the University of Arkansas, feeling the support of the whole southwestern Colorado community as he sprints down the homestretch in his next athletic life chapter.
