Charging the Goal
Zak Boggs
Master’s Student
Marketing
For Zak Boggs, dribbling a ball down an open field is as natural as breathing. And, at times, it would seem as if the ability of this USF Bulls forward to score goals is equally instinctive.
“One of Zak’s best qualities is scoring goals,” said Coach George Kiefer after the second round of the 2008 NCAA men’s soccer championship against Harvard — a victory for USF thanks to a pair of goals by Boggs.
Driven to excel, Boggs is goal-oriented in the classroom as well as on the field. As a result, the West Virginia native has garnered an impressive list of athletic and academic awards: a Green and Gold Plus Scholarship, Dean’s List, Honor Society, the Big East Conference Academic All-Star Team, and the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. He was named the 2009 Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year, and when Boggs received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences last spring, he was named a USF King O’Neal Scholar for graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Most impressive is an award that has earned Boggs a place in USF athletics history books. He is the first-ever USF student-athlete to earn the Big East’s highest academic honor, the Big East Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Presented annually, the award recognizes the top academic performer across all male sports in the Big East Conference.
Success for Boggs goes beyond soccer and studies into a few somewhat surprising arenas. He’s an Eagle Scout, a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and a West Virginia State Marble Shooters Champion. In addition, he is a member of the USA Jump Rope Association and of the Jump Company USA World Class Jump Rope team. He has qualified twice for the USA National Jump Rope Tournament and enjoys sharing his passion for the sport. As part of a community service project, he recently taught a jump rope workshop at an area school to raise awareness about the benefits of exercise and “it was a chance to give back in our community,” he said.
Yet, ask Boggs what achievement means the most to him personally, and he doesn’t mention any of his individual awards.
“Being part of USF’s Big East championship, without a doubt, has been the most significant honor of all to me.”
That 2008 Big East championship is the most significant milestone for the USF soccer program, as well. Not only was it the first Big East Championship in program history, but it earned the Bulls an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship and an Elite Eight finish, the highest place ever for USF men’s soccer in NCAA tournament play. Boggs was one of the Bulls’ top scorers with five goals and five assists.
On the field and in life, Boggs continues to set his goals high. As he plays his final season with the Bulls, he is currently working towards a master’s degree in marketing while he continues to serve as an academic tutor and volunteer at Moffitt Cancer Center. Ultimately, he plans to pursue a career in medicine. However, there’s another goal that will come first: his lifetime dream of playing professional soccer.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Zak will become a professional soccer player once he leaves USF,” says Kiefer. “He has an unlimited amount of potential. If he runs his own medical practice or becomes a surgeon or a doctor, he is going to do it first class. That’s just his way.”
-- Mary Beth Erskine, University Communications & Marketing