Although senior Zach Oatis has been swimming since he was 5 years old, he had never swum competitively until he was in ninth grade at Saucon Valley High School. Coach Ed Kolosky describes him as "a great guy who has worked diligently to become the swimmer he is today."  

Zach has great versatility, as he can swim the 100m Backstroke, 200m Free, 500m Free or 200m IM, and is also a member of both the 200 Medley Relay and the 400 Free Relay teams. In addition to his practice sessions at Saucon Valley, Zach trains an additional 24 to 30 hours weekly with the Parkland Aquatic Club in Orefield. He also competes in USA Swim meets and has not only met Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, but has also competed in the same races! 

To date Zach's most memorable achievements have been setting a new record time of 4:49.17 in the 500m Freestyle event at the 2010 PIAA District XI Championships held at Parkland High School, and qualifying to swim in the State Championships held at Bucknell University for three consecutive years. Additionally, in 2009 he set a new record of 1:47 in the 200m Freestyle--a record he went on to break in 2010, when he swam the same event in 1:46.66.

Currently his goals are to improve his times and techniques, to perform well at this year's PIAA District XI Championships and to once again compete in the State Championships at Bucknell. Although he has not yet decided where he will enroll, Zach wants to continue swimming at the college level.

Zach is a member of the Saucon Valley High School chapter of the National Honor Society, the Model UN and the Veterans Appreciation Club. Zach lists both Mrs. Friday's World Cultures and Mrs. Horvath's 20th Century Studies classes as his favorites. Both instructors have piqued his interest for world affairs and he expects to lean in that direction when he finalizes his plan for his college studies.

This year's Super Bowl will be of special interest, as Zach is a Green Bay Packers fan and will be rooting for them to win the big game!

Zach has an older sister, Rachael, and is the son of David and Cindy Oatis.