Today: Mar 29, 2024

Popsugar features Owls’ track coach

Edward RudmanSports Writer

The vast majority of college athletes face a challenge that regular students do not have to experience once graduating and that is maintaining their identity after not being able to continue playing their respective sports.

“In college you’re known as the track and field athlete, you seem a little different than regular students. It’s kind of your identity,” said Assistant Track and Field Coach Georgette Nixon. “After college, I feel as though a lot of athletes are finding their new identity. I was used to so many challenges, overcoming things and having big goals, how do I find that same motivation in the real world?”

Nixon is an alumnus and ran for the track team for five years, securing All-American honors four times, all while walking on the team as a freshman.

Nixon began her track career her junior year of high school and because of this, she said she had a lot of fuel in the tank when it came to training.

Popular media blogging site Popsugar.com featured Nixon in an article and it revealed how she transitioned into the real world after college and track; they chose five women to highlight in a series of stories, Nixon being one of them. Popsugar is also working alongside Under Armour when collaborating these stories.

“It was amazing to be chosen. They reached out to me actually in January and I was one of the five women picked. It was amazing that they found me out of everyone in the country and I ended up being one of the five,” said Nixon.

Her college career saw her collect many accolades and they came early on. She secured a spot on the 4×400 relay her freshman year at the New England Championship.

After school, Nixon was at a crossroads and needed to figure out what was the next step in her life. She decided to continue being an athlete and is now a strength trainer and assistant coach to both the track and field team.

Nixon said she enjoys being a mentor to young women and her goal as a coach is to help them grow into the person they’re meant to be.

“I wanted to help other young adults’ kind of find their niche in the world. I want to pour back into the same environment that poured back into me,” said Nixon.

When it comes to coaching at her alma mater, Nixon said she couldn’t be happier to have the chance to put her time and effort into the one where she was once a student athlete.

Nixon is not the only alumni to be coaching for track, assistant coach Brian Nill, who is also an alum, said its beneficial to have coaches on staff who are familiar with the programs expectations.

“One thing with our program that is kind of nice is that we’re all alums except for Coach Stoll,” said Nill. “It’s nice to all be on the same page and have an understanding of the ins and outs of the program. It’s easier when you’re born and bred in the program.

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