Abigael Nicolas
Ringgold High School
Sophomore

Events: High Jump, 200m, 100m, & 4x1

When did you first become interested in track and field?
I first started running track in my 8th-grade year. I enjoyed my first season and fell in love with the sport ever since.

How do you prepare mentally for a competition?
Sometimes before competitions,  I tend to get in my head a lot, so before a meet, I make sure to pray and think about the goals I wish to reach. I like to remind myself that I am not competing with anyone else but myself. This keeps me focused and less nervous and also stops me from comparing myself to other athletes.

What is your favorite track and field memory?
Track & Field has given me so many memories, but my favorite was when I was competing in the Scott Frederick Mid-Mon Classic my freshman year and I won the High Jump with a new pr of 4 '11 ½. Since then, I knew I wanted to reach higher heights and create bigger goals.  I was invested in my event and the sport, and I have been working at it ever since.

What makes track and field a unique sport?
Track and field is a sport where you don't necessarily have to worry about anyone but yourself to win or reach success. I am able to work and focus on myself to become the best athlete I can be to reach personal goals and success. Instead of working with a team like football or basketball, I can fight challenges that make me a stronger athlete. 

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a track and field athlete?
Being patient. Trying to cut off time or reach higher heights is always a struggle for me, as it is with most athletes. But sometimes it's harder mentally to compete in meets and not reach your expectations. It causes me to think that I'm not working hard enough and continuously doubt my technique or myself as an athlete. But my love for Track & Field motivates me to keep going even though it feels like I can't run any faster. And knowing that my worth isn't found in my performance, that I can jump and reach my goals (literally) and my time will come.

What are your future goals in track and field?
I wish to break the school record at my school and make it to states and places. I dream to go to national track meets outside the state, like the New Balance nationals in Massachusetts. And as I get better as an athlete, I want to be ranked in the state of PA.

What is the most important thing you have learned about visualization for success in track and field?
If you don't believe it, it's never going to happen. I've come across some people who love the sport but can never see themselves doing great things or are always speaking negatively about their performance or themselves as an athlete. Although it sucks to fail, I've learned through all my failures that as long as I not only think I can do it but believe I can as though it is a fact, then I truly can do anything. 

Abigael is an extraordinary athlete who embodies the true spirit of determination and perseverance. With her unwavering focus and unrelenting passion for high jumping, she sets the bar high and never settles for anything less than excellence. Her impressive personal record of 5-0 is a testament to her hard work and dedication, but Abigael knows that success is a journey, not a destination. She has her sights set on achieving even greater heights in 2023.