On October 30th in Rosedale Park, Georgie Nicholes, a sophomore on the Saint Peter’s University Cross Country team places 121st overall in the six kilometer race. I modest victory looking from the outside, but this was a moment in Nicholes career that gave her rejuvenation and motivation to move forward.
She’s bubbly, putting her things beside her, giggling as she sits down. She arranges her long brown hair, and looks up with a smile as she waits for me to begin.
“Individually, how did you feel about your performance this weekend?”
Her eyes light up as she scoots forward in her chair, and sits up straight.
“I haven’t been able to beat my 5k time, until the MAAC championship. It was actually a 6K, so I beat my 5K and my 6k time.”
“I was calling my dad and I was like ‘dad I beat my 5k time I ran 20:11’”, she said. “I didn’t realize and all the sudden I was like wait, I ran 20:11, and I started crying.”
“Everyone’s staring at me like why are you crying, it’s not that serious. I was just like I finally beat it”, she said. “I was just so happy.”
She remembers her high school slump, when she was unable to beat her personal record and go to state.
“I ran my best time for a 5k my junior year of high school which was 20:17 and my senior year I was going to be the first girl that was going to go five years in a row to states” she said. “But I had a really rough season and I just kept hitting wall after wall at all of my races and one of those races was state, and I didn’t make it by 4 seconds.”
She fidgets with her hair and her eyes dim. “It was so heartbreaking.”
“Finally being able to get past that wall that I got caught behind has really motivated me”, she said. “For a while I really didn’t think I could do it anymore and seeing that on a longer run I beat the shorter distance time, I never thought I’d be able to do that. Ever.”
November 8th the Nick Russo Halloween Classic at Branch Brook Park is the next competition, and Nicholas is looking forward to it.
“Halloween run is one of the highlights of the year for me”, she said. “I’m not going into this thinking I’m going to beat my best time of this year, but I’m going to run it hard.”
“I’m going to be in a lady Captain America costume”, she giggles. “So my legs aren’t going to be covered, but it’s a different feeling than the other races, it’s really fun.”
Having the momentum she’s gained from the MAAC Championship, her goals are higher and she is determined to go further.
“So really, my dream is to break 19:00“, she said. “But I want to break 20:00, then from there hopefully when I’m still on a roll and getting my times down, I can carry it over to the next season.”
She’s bubbly, putting her things beside her, giggling as she sits down. She arranges her long brown hair, and looks up with a smile as she waits for me to begin.
“Individually, how did you feel about your performance this weekend?”
Her eyes light up as she scoots forward in her chair, and sits up straight.
“I haven’t been able to beat my 5k time, until the MAAC championship. It was actually a 6K, so I beat my 5K and my 6k time.”
“I was calling my dad and I was like ‘dad I beat my 5k time I ran 20:11’”, she said. “I didn’t realize and all the sudden I was like wait, I ran 20:11, and I started crying.”
“Everyone’s staring at me like why are you crying, it’s not that serious. I was just like I finally beat it”, she said. “I was just so happy.”
She remembers her high school slump, when she was unable to beat her personal record and go to state.
“I ran my best time for a 5k my junior year of high school which was 20:17 and my senior year I was going to be the first girl that was going to go five years in a row to states” she said. “But I had a really rough season and I just kept hitting wall after wall at all of my races and one of those races was state, and I didn’t make it by 4 seconds.”
She fidgets with her hair and her eyes dim. “It was so heartbreaking.”
“Finally being able to get past that wall that I got caught behind has really motivated me”, she said. “For a while I really didn’t think I could do it anymore and seeing that on a longer run I beat the shorter distance time, I never thought I’d be able to do that. Ever.”
November 8th the Nick Russo Halloween Classic at Branch Brook Park is the next competition, and Nicholas is looking forward to it.
“Halloween run is one of the highlights of the year for me”, she said. “I’m not going into this thinking I’m going to beat my best time of this year, but I’m going to run it hard.”
“I’m going to be in a lady Captain America costume”, she giggles. “So my legs aren’t going to be covered, but it’s a different feeling than the other races, it’s really fun.”
Having the momentum she’s gained from the MAAC Championship, her goals are higher and she is determined to go further.
“So really, my dream is to break 19:00“, she said. “But I want to break 20:00, then from there hopefully when I’m still on a roll and getting my times down, I can carry it over to the next season.”