NICK CELICO, BISHOP HENDRICKEN
Nick is a multi-sport athlete, excelling in wrestling as well as cross country and track & field. The Hendricken standout was an all-state grappler, winning his weight class his junior year and finishing second this past winter. Nick has also demonstrated his talent as a distance runner. He won the 3,000-meter run at the Hendricken Invitational a few weeks ago and clocked a personal best for the 3K distance at the recent state meet where he finished fifth overall with a time of 8 minutes, 52.68 seconds. Nick also owns a PB of 4:07 for 1,500m,.
What would you consider the highlight of your high school career?
The highlight of my high school career was in wrestling where I won the state title for my weight class in my junior year. But, a near second would be my fifth-place finish in the 3K at states this year.
What was your most memorable performance?
My most memorable performance was at this year’s Schomp Invitational where I was a part of the amazing 1500m race and managed to PR by 12 seconds, running 4:07
What was your most difficult obstacle to overcome?
I’d have to say the transition from wrestling to outdoor. I’ve gone through it for 4 years and it takes a lot of focus and commitment to catch back up with the pack
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
First, and most importantly, you have to figure out if you’re going to take the sport seriously or not. If you are serious, ask yourself, will I be able to discipline myself, and make sacrifices in order to succeed. And lastly, do something that you know no one else is doing when you train, that is what sets an individual ahead of the pack. Never get discouraged with any mistakes, losses or failure. No matter who you are, if you are truly putting in the time and effort, it will pay off and you will succeed. This goes not only for athletics, but for academics and life itself.
What will you miss most?
I will miss everything, the practices, the workouts and every race we went to. I will miss guzzling the precious Urg that Coach Doyle mixed up for us after a hard run and his running sermons before every practice. I will miss seeing Coach Brennan at the last 300m and 100m of every race, screaming louder than anyone and setting off my kick. I will miss the great family I ran with every day, who shared countless stories on every run and was there to support each other on our toughest days.
What are your future plans?
I plan to study marine biology at URI and will continue my running career there. Beyond that, I hope to mold together a successful adult life and raise a family and be there for my children as both of my parents did for me and my siblings.
What influence has your coach (or coaches) had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Doyle is the greatest coach I ever had. He never really had to get frustrated at any of his runners. He is one of the most trustworthy people I know and he will never lose faith in you and will do all he can to make you the best runner and person possible. He is a genius when it comes to racing strategy and has never told me the wrong race plan. His optimism in every situation and encouragement is what I think keep so many runners in the Hendricken program. He will always offer help to anyone, no matter how long ago they graduated or how new they are to the sport. This is why I will always go back to train under Coach Doyle whenever I can.
Coach Brennan is a huge reason why I entered the sport. I remember going into his room during freshmen year and saying I was thinking about running. Without hesitation, Coach Brennan told me I would be a great runner and encouraged me to join the team. Every race freshman and sophomore year Coach Brennan always was there for me and every time I passed by him, I’d hear “you’re running great/outstanding/incredible, Nick” and my favorite thing was in the last lap just hearing him scream “KICK!” I’ll never forget the Classical Classic my sophomore year where I ran the sophomore 1500. Coach Brennan told me to stay right on the leader and with 300m to go he said to use my kick. The race went word by word of what he said and WE won the sophomore 1500. His encouragement is a huge factor in my motivation to do well in running.
Who would you like to say Thank You?
I would like to say thank you to Coaches Doyle and Brennan. They were the perfect combination for our team and through their analysis of countless stats and race plans our team had a very successful four years. I’d also like to thank Colin Tierney. He was a huge part of the jump I had in my junior year. He was a great motivator and never hesitated to give you some advice. He was a great friend also and he never doubted any of his teammates and set an example of what hard work does for you. I’d like to thank my teammates; they were a band of brothers who were very concerned with the success of each individual. They are also the greatest friends anyone could ask for and the memories I had with them are some of the greatest I have. Last, but not least, I’d like to give my father the biggest thanks a son could give. He is the reason why I started running and also wrestling, despite never doing these sports himself. But, he did his research and he learned the sports the best he could. He spent countless hours driving me to my practices and always gave me the best gear for the sport. His best trait was his ability to incorporate things from one sport into another sport. He formulated workouts based on wrestling in order to give me “bonus” strength for running and if it wasn’t for these workouts I would have never achieved anything in running. His emphasis on discipline, hard work and never giving up are the three things that have been responsible for any success in my life. What a great father he is. And who could forget my biggest fan and supporter, my Mom!
