Nielson plays role of Mr. Consistent for harriers
Many of his teammates refer to him as the team jokester. Whether he is cracking a joke at practice or picking a dandelion for a member of the Utah State University women’s cross country team, men’s cross country runner Mike Nielson likes to have fun.
When it comes down to race-time, however, the junior from Bellevue, Wash. is all business.
Just ask Aggie teammate Mitch Zundel.
“Mike, when he needs to focus, he focuses,” Zundel said. “When he’s out running around, he’s going to goof off, [and] he’s going to have some fun. A lot of times when he’s warming up, even for a race, he’s got to be in a good mood. And that’s just Mike.
“But when it comes down to focusing right before the race, he’s dead-set [on his goal],” he said. “He knows what he’s going out to do.”
Then again, making running an enjoyable experience is something Nielson said is a must. Of course having fun while being successful is always more enjoyable, he said.
“First of all, it’s just so important to love what you’re doing,” he said. “The goal for the team and I is just to smile and have a lot of fun, and while we’re doing that definitely to compete at the national level.”
With the Mountain Regional Meet just over a week away, Nielson and his Aggie teammates will have a chance to continue to gain national respect. If the Aggies finish in the top four in that race, they will automatically qualify for Nationals.
While individual achievements and accolades are an added bonus, qualifying for Nationals as a team – something USU has never done before – is Nielson’s ultimate goal.
“I think our goal is to accomplish things that have never been accomplished here at Utah State,” he said. “I think that, in and of itself, would be wonderful.”
When asked about his goals while at Utah State, the word “our” was mentioned a lot. It is Nielson’s team-first attitude, Zundel said, that might be more valuable to USU’s success, than Nielson’s individual abilities.
“People respect him,” he said. “Besides being a great leader on the course or on the track, he’s just a good guy, and everyone’s going to respect that.”
Nevertheless, Nielson’s results have also demanded respect from opposing teams in both cross country and track and field. Nielson has been USU’s first of second finisher in every cross country meet it has competed in this season, and is a two-time Big West Conference champion in track and field.
In addition to second-place finishes at the Idaho State Invitational and the BWC Championship Meet, Nielson has powered himself into the top 25 in two of the nation’s most prestigious meets – the Notre Dame Invitational and the Pre-Nationals Meet.
The sky is the limit for Nielson, Zundel said, and that includes success outside the Big West Conference.
“He can be as good as he wants,” Zundel said. “Mike can do whatever he wants to do.”
Nielson was quick to deflect credit to Aggie coaches Gregg Gensel and Steve Reeder when asked about his recent
success.
“I think Coach Reeder now is asking a lot more from us than he did [my] freshman year,” he said. “He’s asking us to put in more hours, and obviously the results can be seen.”
However, he said he learned the importance of developing a good work ethic following his senior year of high school.
He said finishing in 30th place at the state cross country meet his senior year, when he was favored to finish in the top five changed his work ethic for the better.
“I realized talent’s important, but it can only take you so far,” he said. “Talent can take you pretty far in high school, but here at this level, hard work is the difference-maker.”
Perhaps even more important than being dedicated to the sport, Nielson said is the ability to develop mental toughness. Learning how to be mentally tough when one starts to get tired and feel the pain is a must in cross country, he said.
“In running, when you go out to race, you know when it’s all said and done, you’re going to be hurting really bad,” he said. “You’re not going to get through it unscathed.”
Regardless of what might be in store for Nielson in cross country, he said he just wants other runners to look at him and know they are going to have to run their hearts out to beat him.
“I hope people, when they think about me will know that I’m going to show up to a meet,” he said. “[And think] when I get there, I’m going to give it my all.”
-jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu
Mike Nielson leads a pack of runners at a practice earlier this season. (Photo by Michael Sharp)