Philip Zoppi – Sports Editor
Senior Georgette Nixon of Southern’s women’s track and field team has progressed not only as player, but also as a leader during her time for the Owls.
Nixon said coming into Southern she was a very shy person, but her experiences with the track team have helped her come overcome that barrier.
Now that Nixon is a senior she is trying to leave behind positive messages for the underclassmen on the team, and be a team leader.
“I definitely feel like I’m in a leadership position now,” said Nixon. “I went through my freshman year and made mistakes, but I learned from them. I now know how to teach the underclassmen how to not makes those same mistakes, and help them become successful.”
Adriana Carrasco, Nixon’s workout and running partner, also saw this progression as a leader.
“When I first joined the team I remember Georgette being very quiet,” said Carrasco. “Georgette has progressed into a louder more outspoken person and leader now. She’s always open to speaking her mind and listening to her teammates opinions or concerns.”
Nixon has been rather successful on the playing field during her time for Southern’s track and field team. The Naugatuck native was an NCAA National Champion as a junior in the 4×400 indoor relays, and a Northeast-10 and New England Champion in the 4×400 outdoor relays.
Winning these awards and having this kind of success has showed Nixon that Southern was the right school for her.
“It just proves to me that I made the right decision in coming to Southern,” said Nixon when referring to the success she has had. “We have a great coaching staff to help get me these awards, perform better and be able to help the team and myself.”
Carrasco is going to miss a lot more than just what Nixon does for the team in competition.
“Georgette is such a supportive teammate and was always there to listen to any concerns or issues that I was having on any given day,” said Carrasco.
Nixon is going out at the right time in her final year, as the women’s track team is finding a lot of success. The women’s track was ranked No. 3 in the latest USTFCCA Regional Rankings this past week.
This is important for Nixon because team results is something that she focuses on. Now that Nixon is close to graduating, she has pointed towards a few aspects of track that she thinks will help her outside of Southern.
“Track is a team sport but it’s also an individual sport,” said Nixon. “Track has really helped me become a leader and push myself to my limits to really see my full potential.”
Nixon is not the only one who has noticed her progression from her time at Southern. Carrasco has also seen a lot of success at Southern, as she was an All-American in the 4×400 relays as a sophomore. Carrasco credits some of her success as a track player to Nixon.
“Georgette is a really motivating person and always strived to push herself and her teammates through even the hardest practices,” said Carrasco. “I learned to never give up.”
Nixon will look to finish out her Southern career strong, as the women’s track team has three meets left on their schedule: the NE-10 Conference Championships, the New England Outdoor Championships and the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications
