Brooke Zuluaga Excels At Throwing Softballs, Javelins

Brooke Zuluaga, a senior at Seton Catholic Prep in Tempe, Arizona, was a multi-sport athlete until the eighth grade, when she decided to focus on softball. Last year, however, Zuluaga decided to pick up another extracurricular activity.

Zuluaga became a javelin thrower for the Seton Catholic Prep team. Despite her lack of experience, Zuluaga broke the school record, won a divisional championship, and placed second in the state.

She participated in the Nike Outdoor Nationals & USATF U20 Championships this summer, finishing 16th overall with a throw of 40.38 meters (1320-10). 

Zuluaga's softball background was an asset once the left-hander picked up the javelin and started to learn the mechanics of throwing it.

“The motion is pretty similar, so it was pretty easy to pick up,” she said. “And I was the only girl that did it for my school, so I got a lot of one-on-one work with my coach. He helped me a lot to get everything down quickly.”

Zuluaga comes from an athletic family. Her dad, Javier, played football at Navy and is now a football coach at her high school. Her brother, Luke, ran track for the Air Force Academy.

Zuluaga, a 2026 recruit, has committed to play softball at Miami University (Ohio). Both of her parents are from the Midwest, and Zuluaga formed a strong relationship with Miami head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate during the recruiting process. 

“She was one of my first calls on September 1st. We set up a visit, and on my second day of my visit, I asked my mom, ‘Do I even have to go on my other visits?'” Zuluaga said. “I knew right away, that was where I wanted to be. Everyone was so nice, and I really liked that they prioritized academics just as much as athletics.”

Zuluaga is the only pitcher for her high school team, and hits and plays the outfield for her travel ball team, Top Gun National 18U. She plans to be a two-way player in college and may even be a two-sport athlete if she stays with javelin.

“I would love to. That was one of the questions I asked on my visit, ‘Have they ever had softball players that play another sport?' And she said they've done it before,” Zuluaga said. “So I would definitely be interested. And I've been in contact with the javelin coach a little bit.”

Zuluaga has international softball experience as a member of the Colombian women's national team. Her dad's side of the family is Colombian and she received her citizenship two years ago. The summer before her junior year, Zuluaga was invited to play for the Colombia 18U team at the World Cup in Brazil. That led to an invitation to the full national team.

“I will be playing for them this year and hopefully making a run for the Olympics later on. I'm super excited,” said Zuluaga, who has been able to improve her Spanish skills while representing Colombia. “I've had so much fun traveling with the 18U team to some tournaments and I'll be playing in Peru with the national team in November.”

Zuluaga thrives when she's taking on multiple roles and juggling numerous responsibilities. She is grateful to one of her coaches, former University of Arizona shortstop Mo Mercado, who fostered Zuluaga's competitive spirit and passion for the sport.

“Having a female coach who played in college and was an All-American at U of A provided a really good role model for me. It just helped me a lot, going through my process,” Zuluaga said. “I knew she cared more about just who I was as an athlete, but also as a person. She kept me loving the sport.”