Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/324570
69 By DARREN MILLER Diamonds are Forever I t took three excruciating, soul-searching years for University of Iowa senior Zinnia Miller to harden into the diamond she is today. During those injury-filled seasons as a member of the Hawkeye track and field team, Miller was held score- less in major meet aer major meet. at changed in 2014 — her final season as a collegian — when she medaled four times in the indoor and outdoor Big Ten Championships. Her performance at the conference outdoor champi- onships May 17-18 le her with the 13th-best triple jump effort (42-feet, ½ inch) and the 17th-best long jump effort (20-4 ¼) of anyone attending the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She placed fourth at Arkansas and advanced to the NCAA Finals in the long jump with a career-best leap of 20-6 ½; a day later she moved on in the triple jump by plac- ing seventh with an effort of 41-11 ½. A devoted reader of the Holy Bible, Miller compares her journey as a student-athlete to that of Job. e Book of Job talks of a family man who loses every- thing, but in the end has his health and wealth re- stored. "God told Job that if he stayed faithful, he would be blessed to the fullest," Miller said May 21 at a Univer- sity of Iowa Athletic Department all-staff meeting. "I feel like this is the experience I am having here." A native of Abaco, Bahamas, Miller knows about liv- ing with warm temperatures. She experienced special warmth on a visit to the UI, despite staying on a snowy weekend. "e atmosphere here was lovely. Everybody gave me a warm feeling and aer a while I knew this was a place I wanted to be," Miller said. Once enrolled, she began training for a career in multi- events with specialization in high jump, sprints, and the 4x400-meter relay. It wasn't a perfect match. Pre- paring for the five-event pentathlon (indoors) and the seven-event heptathlon (outdoors) resulted in more trips to the training room than the award stand. "It's a story I like to tell everybody because even though it has been difficult, I can say I experienced track and field to the fullest level," Miller said. "I can also say I am a very adaptable person. at's a skill the University of Iowa has given me." Before her senior season, Miller and assistant coach Clive Roberts decided she would only participate in horizontal jumps. at meant more time perfecting the long jump and starting from scratch in the triple jump. e move paid off for both Miller and the Hawkeyes. Aer going three years without scoring a team point, Miller totaled 13 at the Big Ten Outdoor Champion- ships (runner-up in long jump, fourth in triple jump) and 10 at the Big Ten Indoor Championships (third in long jump, fih in triple jump). "Success does not always come in a straight line. You have to work at it," Miller said. "ree years is what I needed to toughen myself and become that diamond in the rough." A journey Miller refers to as a unique, high-low, roller- coaster ride is ending. She says she will never let go of the relationships she formed at the UI, and hopes the independence, mental toughness, and skills she ac- quired will inspire others. "Adversity is a scary thing, but it is also something that can push you," she said.