Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

When Nicole Miklas was making the biggest decision of her young life, selecting a college to attend, she really didn’t have a long list of demands.

“I just wanted to go somewhere to get a good education and a place where I could continue to run track,” said Miklas, a native of Jersey City and a graduate of St. Dominic Academy. My parents influenced me and told me that Newark would be better for me.”

So after briefly considering NJIT and Montclair State, Miklas and her parents paid a visit to Rutgers-Newark.

“I saw that Coach (Juan) Edney was looking to build a team and I said, `Let me help this coach out,’” Miklas said. “I didn’t even have to think about another school. I knew I didn’t even want to apply anywhere else. I wanted to go to Rutgers.”

“She came in last year for the first visit and we showed her around,” Edney said. “I let her know all about our family atmosphere and that was it. She was sold. She told me she wasn’t applying anywhere else and that she was coming here. I never had that happen before.”

Miklas said that the track program at Rutgers-Newark resembled the one she came from in high school, the traditionally strong and extremely close-knit program at St. Dominic, headed by respected veteran coach John Nagel.

“I started running track my junior year of high school and I felt very comfortable with everyone right away,” Miklas said. “I loved my experience in high school. I loved being with my team and coaches. When I came to visit Rutgers, I felt the same way. Coach Edney and Coach Nagel have similar attitudes and personalities. I felt really comfortable at Rutgers.”

Miklas has more than blended in with the Scarlet Raiders. She’s become an instant fixture and has already set two school records, even though she’s been competing on the college level for a little over a month.

“I’m really surprised about that, because much like I felt in high school, I didn’t know if I could fit in,” Miklas said. “When I started in high school, I didn’t know what kind of running I would so. I would lose my breath and felt out of place. But John told me to keep at it and we found out I was a distance runner.

Added Miklas, “When I got here, I was very nervous, because I wasn’t sure what Coach Edney was going to make me do. I didn’t know how well I would do. When you’re unsure about something, you tend to work a little harder.”

Miklas said that she prepared for her first collegiate season by training with her high school team over the summer.

“I practiced with them the whole summer,” Miklas said. “It really helped me get ready for the season.”

But Miklas never ran a 6K (six kilometer) race before her first attempt at the University of Delaware a few weeks ago and she ended up setting a new school record in the process.

“I felt like I was ready for it,” Miklas said. “I was so scared that day, but I guess I did pretty well for my first time.”

Last week, she ran a more conventional 5K race at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia and posted a personal best time of 22:36.52.

“She wants to break every record,” Edney said. “She’s that determined. She’s doing better than what I expected. She has the distance part down. Now, she needs to work on her sprinting and I don’t mean the 100-meter dash. We have to work on her pace and having something at the end. She runs the pace like clockwork. It comes easy to her. We just need that little extra.”

Edney is pleased to have a runner like Miklas to stabilize his young roster.

“She comes from a good track and cross country background,” Edney said. “She’s very serious about her school work and serious about her running. She’s there every single day, working hard. She gets upset when she doesn’t get the times she wanted. She’s really a coach’s dream. She just goes out and does what she’s supposed to do. And she’s already setting records. That’s the biggest plus.”

Edney said that her background has helped her adjust to college running.

“I think it has a lot to do with what she’s accomplished so far,” Edney said. “She came in and competed right away. But it also has a lot to do with what she is as a person. She’s just a great kid.”

Edney said that he celebrated his birthday last week and received a surprise from Miklas.

“She wrote me a nice note in a birthday card,” Edney said. “I never expected that. She’s been here only a month and she already sent me a heartwarming letter, telling me that I made her feel comfortable. That meant a lot to me. I really liked reading that. It was definitely genuine.”

Edney knows that he’s found a diamond in the rough.

“As long as she stays healthy, the sky’s the limit,” Edney said. “She’s become a young leader on our team and the rest now follow her lead.”

Miklas has yet to declare an official major at R-N, but she’s leaning towards biology and eventually going to graduate school to study genetics.

But that’s down the road some. She’s only a freshman. The future is very bright.

“It’s all been pretty exciting,” Milkas said. “I have been thinking that this is just the beginning.”