Vidal Macchia has emerged as a standout athlete at William Floyd High School.
The 10th-grade student, who is the younger brother of BYU runner and Olympic hopeful Zariel Macchia, has made a name for himself in both track and tennis.
“I love both sports a lot — especially tennis because it’s much more of a chess match,” he explained during a tennis practice with The Post on Wednesday.
“I like running because it’s all about pushing yourself as hard as you can.”
This spring, Macchia has achieved a 4-1 record in tennis. Though he competes in running during the school’s fall and winter seasons, the 6-foot-1, 17-year-old is set to participate independently at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia this June.
His specialty is the steeplechase, having set the nation’s best time at the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals as an eighth grader with a time of 6:19.79 over 2000 meters. He recently qualified again with a 6:06.9 finish.
All love
Macchia’s dedication to sports is deeply rooted in his family’s legacy. Running has been a family tradition that predates his sister Zariel, who graduated from Floyd last year, leaving behind several Long Island and local records.
His parents, Peter and Alex, met on Columbia University’s track team, and it was Peter who introduced Vidal to tennis at an early age, a sport he quickly became fond of.
It was his sister Zariel who influenced his track career, needing a training partner when Vidal was in middle school.
Zariel pushed Vidal to exceed his limits, initially under the pretense that it would improve her own athletic performance.
“As any older sister would probably do, it was fun to mess with him every once in a while,” Zariel admitted with a laugh.
Her father shared, “She wanted to run him into the ground and thought it was hilarious.”
What began as sibling banter turned into a serious realization of Vidal’s potential, proving he was indeed a force to be reckoned with.
“He’s probably the toughest runner that I’ve run with,” Zariel noted, adding that Vidal often needed weeks to recover after their intense training sessions.
“He’s the most innocent and wholehearted person, and I don’t know if he realizes that,” she said, comparing him to her Division-I athletic peers.
The siblings have grown closer, frequently celebrating each other’s successes from Suffolk County to Utah.
“It’s always fun to talk to her,” Vidal said. “She’s always excited about whatever I’m doing, and it’s pretty cool to hear what she’s doing in college now.”
Zariel’s enjoyment of cross-country during high school also inspired Vidal, fueling his eagerness to compete in various events nationwide.
This enthusiasm was a primary reason for his decision not to pursue a quarterback position, despite making the JV football team in eighth grade.
“My dad would also always take us to cool places to train and run, like the beach at Sunken Meadow Park,” he recalled.
“All of that really made me want to race.”
Deuces wild
As Vidal gears up for the track nationals, he maintains a rigorous running routine. He’s also striving for a milestone on the tennis court this spring.
“I want to make the state tournament this year,” he expressed. “There are a lot of good players there.”
After being eliminated at the county level in 2025, Vidal is determined to achieve another championship-level success.
He’s even begun practicing with his younger brother Peter, imparting his tennis knowledge without the intense conditioning Zariel subjected him to in running.
“I’m trying to play a decent amount with him and give as much advice as I can,” Vidal said.
“He’s having fun.”
As college approaches, Vidal is uncertain which sport he will choose to pursue or if he might have the opportunity to continue with both.
He is particularly interested in joining Zariel at BYU.
“I think that would be pretty cool,” Vidal said.
She agrees.
“If we were able to be college teammates, that would be one of the most amazing experiences ever,” Zariel said.
