New Hope-Solebury sophomore Zach Peckman earned the title of junior national champion at the 2024 United States National Jump Rope Championships this June, winning gold in the Speed Endurance event in the junior male (under 16) division.
In the same event, Peckman earned a silver medal with a second-place finish in Grand Nationals, which combines both junior and senior divisions. In the Speed Sprint event, Peckman won his third medal, earning silver in the junior male division.
Held in Salt Lake City, Utah, this year’s National Jump Rope Championships saw a record number of athletes compete. While Peckman was confident heading into the competition after a year of diligent preparation and success in regional competitions, he shared, “Right before the Speed Endurance event, I guess I was nervous because I kept messing up during my warmup. But, as soon as my heat started, everything seemed to kick in. I got into a really good rhythm so I was able to push my pace, and I ended up getting a personal record.”
This impressive finish follows a strong 2023 where Peckman earned a spot on the U.S. Junior National Jump Rope Team and competed in last year’s World Jump Rope Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There, Peckman competed in various events, including Speed Sprint, Speed Endurance, and a pairs event called “Wheel” alongside Bree Hall, who is one of Peckman’s teammates on Zero Gravity, a hometown jump rope squad now associated with the Doylestown YMCA.
Peckman’s first introduction to jump rope happened in New Hope-Solebury’s elementary school, where he had the opportunity to see a local jump rope team of older students perform in an assembly. He then had the chance to try it out himself by joining the school’s Jump Rope Club, a morning extracurricular activity run by physical education teacher Jim DiTulio. Being inspired by those older students jumping on stage at that assembly, Peckman soon became one of them. He joined a local exhibition team that hosted school assemblies and was featured in halftime shows in major arenas, including the Wells Fargo Center and Madison Square Garden.
In the upcoming February qualifying competition, Peckman hopes to earn a spot on the senior U.S. National Jump Rope Team.
“I’m going to continue working really hard because if I make the team, I’ll get to compete at next year’s World Championships in Japan,” he said.
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