Nick Posada had a great high school career at Winter Park for the Wildcat's track and field and cross country programs. Posada continued his running career at the University of Michigan and redshirted his freshman year in 2011. He has competed in four cross country races for the Wolverines including an 86th place finish at the Big Ten Championships. He looks to continue his success into track season where he could possibly compete in the 2000m steeplechase as well as mid-distance events.
What was the biggest adjustment you had to make to compete at the college level?
The biggest adjustment was that day in and day out. The paces for regular runs were always fast. In high school an average day of distance was at fastest 6:30 pace, but in college everything is different. A slower run at Michigan will start at 6:00 flat and we usually get competitive so that pace naturally picks up. Even on days which we are going 20 miles its not uncommon to see 5:50 to 5:40 at the end of a run. Basically the daily grind took a little bit to get used to.
Is there anything you can tell high school athletes to better prepare them for the college experience?
Is there anything you can tell high school athletes to better prepare them for the college experience?
For high school athletes the biggest thing you can do is listen to your coach. Especially over the summer because you'll suffer during the season if you don't. Also don't get competitive on every run because you won't last the season.
What memories from competing in high school stand out the most?
What memories from competing in high school stand out the most?
My favorite memories were being able to race different events and race a lot. In college you might run two races over a weekend and with cross country you'll race a maximum of four or five times.
What do you miss most about running in high school?
I asked my teammate the same question of what he misses most and he said winning. I would have to agree. The competition in college is much more stiff and wins are hard to come by.
What piece of coaching or advice that someone gave you has been the biggest help?
The best piece of advice I've been given is that it is important to have that killer instinct while racing. College coaches need to see that you'll push yourself to run well and without that you won't be running any good races.
Personal Bests
-
1,600 Meter Run4:24.74
-
2,000 Meter Steeplechase6:07.20
-
3200 Meter Run9:17.69
-
5,000 Meter Run15:18.61
-
8000 Meter Run25:32.00
More Coverage
