Utica senior wins Anchor Bay invitational
Utica senior wins invitational at Anchor Bay
The coronavirus pandemic didn’t claim Carson Nicoletti’s running prowess as a victim.
“I feel better than ever,” the Utica cross country senior said Friday after he won the James Cleverley Invitational at Anchor Bay.
“I tried to take advantage of the down time (due to COVID-19). I tried to work on my craft and be a better runner. I’ll do anything I can to get better.”
Nicoletti, who broke the Utica record with a finish of 15:50.6 at the MAC Red Division jamboree at Romeo last Saturday, turned in another sub-16-minute performance while winning the first race on Anchor Bay’s 3.1-mile course.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Nicoletti said. “I imagine myself racing all the time, how I want to feel, where I want to be at what time. I just try tohave as much fun as I can.
“I’m really proud of my team and how hard we’re working.”
Nicoletti was one of the many track and field athletes who were disappointed when that season was cancelled in the spring due to the virus.
Coach Megan Berry and Nicoletti talked about his goals back then.
“He said, ‘I want to focus on cross country,’” Berry recalled.
And Nicoletti did precisely that, concentrating on diet, sleep, stretching and other activities to enhance his performances.
“He does all the right things behind the scenes,” Berry said. “He embodies what it takes to be a serious runner.
“He’s a great kid and works so hard. I’m happy to see his hard work paying off.”
Berry is also happy that there is a season at all.
From the time prep sports were shut down in mid-March, no one knew until well into the summer whether there would be any fall competition.
“He was really scared,” Berry said, referring to Nicoletti. “He was like, ‘Did I do all this work for nothing?’”
Berry said the Utica runners as a group have been “adaptable and resilient.”
“They’ve inspired me to stay positive,” she said.
Nicoletti’s time as a Utica athlete included a stint in basketball.
He and Berry had a conversation about his place in athletics after practice on Thursday.
“He said, ‘I used to like running, but now I love running. I’m in love with the sport.’
“He loves it to the core. He loves every step he takes out there. He’s such a joyful person.”
The boys varsity was the first race of the Cleverley Invitational, named for a long-time Anchor Bay coach and state official for cross country and track and field.
JV and girls races followed.