Senior earns Illinois athlete of year for cross country
On Dec 11, senior Nick Falk competed at the Eastbay Cross Country Championship in San Diego, CA
Falk
Falk racing at the Eastbay Cross Country Championship on December 11 in San Diego
Falk, who recently committed to Duke for cross country, finished in 19th place in the 5000 meter run, recording a time of 15:39.90.
Falk felt like he was more than confident enough to compete in such a prestigious event.
“Competing against the best should always be the goal,” said Falk. “ I have had more than enough confidence in myself to know I belonged competing with the best for a while now. I wasn’t any more nervous than I usually am before races, just more excited.”
Falk thought that he could have performed better, but was pleased with his effort.
“I had higher expectations for myself going in, but I am still proud of the way I competed and finished,” said Falk.
Senior Nick Friedman, a long-time friend and teammate to Falk, was impressed with Falk’s performance on the national stage.
“It was awesome to see him hold his own and be aggressive,” said Friedman. “That race really showed his competitiveness.”
Friedman was very happy to see Falk compete in nationals because of his hard work and substantial improvement.
“It was really cool to see because I have been seeing him work so hard since middle school,” Friedman said. “To actually see him compete towards being one of the best runners in the country shows that he was actually competing for something that was a different level than what everyone realized.”
Varsity cross country coach Matthew Sloan was also proud to see Falk competing in nationals.
“It was a really cool experience,” Sloan said. “Falk was the only boys representative from Illinois, there were college coaches [at the race], and he was running against all of the top athletes in the nation.”
Sloan said that Falk’s resilience has been a big factor in Falk getting to nationals.
Falk credits his teammates and coaches for helping him get to nationals.
“I would be nowhere near where I am today without their ability to push me, while also making practice and running the best part of my day,” Falk said.
Falk also appreciates how his parents have supported throughout his running career.
“My dad got me into running and my mom has helped me succeed in running in every way she can,” said Falk.
Sloan believes that Falk can thrive as a runner this spring and at the next level.
“He’s going to do a great job at Duke,” Sloan said. “He [wants] to, again, compete with the best the nation has to offer, but he still has some unfinished business this spring. I am so excited to see what he can do.”