Nevada Preps Girls Athlete of the Year: Centennial’s Zoey Bonds

Even after winning four events at the Class 5A state track and field meet, Zoey Bonds had no problem choosing her favorite.

“The 100 hurdles,” she said.

It’s no surprise. After all, her last name is Bonds.

According to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association record book, the Bonds sisters have four of the top nine times in the 100-meter hurdles in state meet history.

But while the 100 hurdles is her favorite event, it’s her overall body of work in track and field and as the setter for Centennial’s volleyball team that landed her the honor as the Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada Girls Athlete of the Year.

As a senior, Bonds won a gold medal in the 100 hurdles in 14.17, the seventh-best time ever at the state track and field meet, and added titles in the 300 hurdles (44.39), high jump (5 feet, 4 inches) and long jump (17-10) to lead the Bulldogs to their 10th consecutive championship.

She also was a setter and captain on Centennial’s volleyball team, the Class 5A state runner-up.

“Work ethic is the biggest thing for Zoey,” Centennial track coach Roy Session said. “She had great perseverance through (COVID-19). She was able to keep away from people but still train. She wanted to do well, and she fought through it.”

Carrying the Bonds name at Centennial, Zoey couldn’t help but feel pressure. Her sisters Tiana (13.50) and Talie (13.86) are first and second in state 100 hurdles history, Quincy (14.25) is ninth, and the sisters’ names also are littered throughout the NIAA’s girls track and field record book in other events.

But Zoey said the pressure didn’t come from anybody in her family.

“The majority of the pressure I put on myself because of how successful my sisters were,” Zoey said. “My family is super competitive, but we’re also super supportive of each other. They taught me how to do everything in track. They pretty much trained me.”

Zoey signed with Brigham Young, making it a clean sweep of the Bonds sisters becoming Division I athletes. Talie is a track and field athlete at Arizona after starting her college career at Utah State, and Tiana was also a track and field athlete at Arizona. Quincy also is at Arizona, but she made soccer her sport of choice.

The Bulldogs’ run to the state championship volleyball match — before falling in a sweep to Bishop Gorman — belied their 14-22 record, but Zoey always thought the team had a shot for a deep run and made sure her teammates didn’t lose focus.

“The season was challenging because we weren’t doing that great,” Zoey said. “The games were close, but we couldn’t finish. I started to give my team little quotes or pep talks before the games. Most were talking about how everybody thinks we’re the underdog and to let people doubt us.”

Session said it will be strange next year without a Bonds on the roster. After all, he’s been at Centennial for 13 years and always had at least one.

He laughed when asked which sister is the best athlete.

“They’re all different,” Session said. “They all had their own events, so it’s hard to compare. But having all of them has been a big reason for the success we’ve had as a team.”

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.