Stetson's Leader of the Pack

He doesn't own any school records and all-conference honors are probably not in his future, but ask any member of the Stetson men's cross country team which teammate has had the biggest impact on them personally, and senior Nick Nweeia would be the unanimous response.

"Nick has hands down been the best leader I've followed and respected thus far in life," sophomore Stewart Schmidt said. "Nick earned our respect very easily and quickly because of how open and helpful he was from the moment we were recruited by the university. He is constantly reaching out and continually making sure everyone is doing all right. He also holds everyone to a high standard. If he thinks someone isn't pulling their weight or should be performing at a higher level, he'll let you know."

Learning By Listening

When Nweeia arrived at Stetson as a wide-eyed, soft-spoken freshman runner in 2015, he did not quite know what to expect.

"I just remember coming in and being pretty excited to be on a Division I college cross country team," Nweeia said. "I was the slowest runner on the team by far. I had no major role. I was just hoping to start getting better and progressing and listening to some of the leaders on that team."

Those leaders included seniors Andrew Townes and Austyn Finnk, and juniors Joe Beery and Ryan Newfrock, among others. Nweeia did a lot of listening and learning that season. He said those leaders taught him big-picture things, like the importance of having patience and humility, plus many practical items, like how to warm-up properly and do dynamic stretches.

Turning Point

The end of Nweeia's freshman year came along with major changes to the program. Bryan Harmon took over as the new head coach, and Beery, now a senior, was named the new team captain.

"Coach Harmon really wanted to make a difference and rev up the program," Nweeia said. "Joe listened to coach and followed coach, so I followed Joe."

That season was a challenging one for the Hatters, and at the end of the year, several of men's runners left the program, while other teammates were about to graduate. Nweeia was at a crossroads.

"There was one point I remember where I was about to quit because everyone else was being negative toward the program and that negativity started rubbing off on me," Nweeia said. "I stayed because I talked to Joe and Ryan, and they both said that if I were to quit, all of the Stetson traditions, names, and history would be forgotten. They said that I had the ability to recreate the program into something way better than before.

"Every time I talked to Coach Harmon, he would talk about the new guys coming in and how they would be a better asset to the program," Nweeia added. "Seeing the passion in coach's expression fueled me to look forward to the next year. I didn't want to be remembered as the guy who quit but the guy who changed Stetson Cross Country into something that people wanted to be a part of."

In the spring, Nweeia trained alongside Beery, who was in his final semester at Stetson. Beery's tutorship not only helped Nweeia become a faster runner, but it also prepared him for becoming a team leader. As a rising junior, Nweeia was about to become the eldest member of the men's program for the following season.

"Joe definitely had the biggest influence on me sophomore year because he didn't have to run track season, but he did anyway," Nweeia said. "I always looked up to him as an older brother. I didn't know what I was going to do as a captain for the next year, and he showed me how to do that. He gave me some books to read and taught me exactly what to do."

Harmon saw potential in Nweeia but was not convinced that he would be the right fit for team captain.

"Before he went home for the summer, I told Nick, 'I have no problem with you wanting to be a captain, but you have to understand a few things,'" Harmon said. "'It is going to be challenging because we are going to bring in a group of freshmen that are all going to be faster than you. You are going to have to earn their respect. When they all get here and we start practicing, when they see you finishing last in our workouts or being the last person on the team in our races, that has to be something that doesn't matter. They have to respect your willingness to put the program above yourself. They have to be able to respect the hustle and the grind that you are doing even though you are the slowest one on the team. There has to be things for them to look at and respect for it to work. If they all come in here and say, "Why would I listen to this guy?" it is going to be a broken system.'"

Stepping Up

Nweeia felt called to be a team leader, to put his knowledge and experience to good use, and to help shape the direction of the program into the future. However, he knew the newcomers were all going to be freshmen, and they were all going to be faster than him. Would they even listen to him or care what he had to say?

"I was worried, actually, because I didn't know if they were going to cut me out, or if I was going to be outcast, because I was going to be the only junior on the team," Nweeia said. "They were all recruited, and this was looking like a real team now. Coach Harmon told me I had to treat it as if the freshmen were all one unit, and I was separate. I had to take them under my wing and lead them, so that is what I did."

Throughout the summer, Nweeia reached out to all the newcomers, answering their questions about school, encouraging them to complete their workouts, and reminding them about paperwork that needed to be turned in. He brought them together and made them feel a part of the team before they took their first step on campus.

"Nick made the transition from high school to college much easier for me," sophomore Sam Craig said. "He helped us connect and make friends, he showed us proper habits and routines to succeed on and off the field, and he always made us a priority with athletic, academic, and social questions and concerns."

Once fall training begun, it was confirmed that Nweeia was not at the same speed as his new, faster teammates. However, he continued to lead by example with his work ethic, determination, and leadership.

"Sure, Nick isn't our fastest guy, but he never needed to be," Craig said. "He had the mindset that he wanted to work hard, and that instantly gained my respect."

"The way Nick carried himself, worked his butt off in practices, supported us, and even the way he spoke made our transition that much easier," Schmidt said. "If we had a question, we would ask Nick. If we we were struggling with an issue or a problem, we would talk to Nick. Even to the extent of if we thought a girl was cute, Nick. The transition was so smooth because we had someone as dynamic as Nick for support both on the team and in the classroom."

Nweeia also concentrated on building team chemistry by finding opportunities for the guys to hang out together. That plan was further aided in mid-September when team spent 10 days on the road after Hurricane Irma swept through central Florida and shut down campus for a week.

"We really bonded on that trip," Nweeia said. "Every minute of the day we were either training together, eating together, or hanging out together. We even taught Hillary (Melly) how to swim. I think that trip helped us out a lot."

Family Atmosphere

Senior year has brought some new challenges Nweeia's way. While the sophomores have a year of experience under the belt, a new set of freshmen have entered the program, and there are more runners on the roster than before and more personalities to try and blend together.

"One of the things I told myself is I am going to do whatever it takes to have these guys get along," Nweeia said. "I think for the most part that has happened. We'll go watch a movie together, or we'll go hang out after practice. We'll go to the CUB and get breakfast. Even on the weekend, we will just go somewhere local and get donuts or something, just something to keep us together. It's more than just running. Now we are a team. Now we are a family."

"I know a lot of sports preach that family component, but cross country is different," Harmon said. "We don't have event groups like a track team, or skill position groups like football, or cliques within a big team. Those guys are running 90 percent of their mileage with each other every single day. That family component is really, really important."

Nweeia says he lives across the street from the three freshmen this season, allowing them to come by to hang out or ask questions about school or running at any time. While he has helped the new crop become adjusted to Stetson, he has noticed some changes in the sophomore class as well.

"The sophomores are starting to play a role now in the leadership position," Nweeia said. "Before they were just excited to be at Stetson, but now they have their confidence built up, they are excited to race, and they are excited to be part of the team. It is fun to watch them grow up just in the matter of a year in a half. I can't wait to see what they do next year."

One More Race

Nweeia's collegiate career is coming to a close, but not before he and his teammates compete at the ASUN Championship Friday morning in New York City. Nweeia has significantly lowered his PR every season, from the 34s his freshman year to 28:09 last month in Gainesville. However, when asked what his goals were for the final race, it was no surprise that his answer centered on the team:

"I hope we make the top four," Nweeia said. "That would be great. We got seventh last year, but we are a better team now.

"I want to see Hillary break his own school record," Nweeia added. "I want to see Tristen (Montalvo) break Hillary's current school record. I want them to both be in the 24s. I want our top 5 to be under 26:30. I think we can do that. We have come a long way, especially since my freshman year."

OK, but what about you, Nick?

"I want to break 28. Coach and I have talked about that for the past year now. He knows I want that to be my PR going out, so that is what I am hoping to do. If I can be around 27:45, 27:50, that would be great."

"To see Nick break 28 at conference would be the culmination of everything I've said about Nick already," Craig said. "He's a truly stand up guy that I'm glad to call a friend, teammate, captain, and more than anything, my brother. I know he can break 28; he's put in the work and the opportunity will be there for him."

All That Matters

Regardless of his final result, Nweeia can look back with pride on his time at Stetson. He says he still keeps in close touch with Joe and Andrew, and the friendships with his current teammates will certainly carry forward as well. He has become a stronger, faster runner, he is on track to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies and Geography (with a minor in Management), and his leadership skills will serve him well in the professional world.

Harmon was especially proud to see Nweeia's development throughout his career.

"He is the guy who put everything above himself," Harmon said. "The program would not be where it is today if Nick did not make the sacrifices he made. Not only competitively, but in the way our team functions internally. If I didn't show up for a week, nothing would change. The program would be the same as when I left it. Everything that needed to get done would get done, and that's all because of Nick."

So what has Stetson Cross Country meant to Nweeia?

"It has literally meant everything to me. I can't imagine myself not being on this team. I wouldn't imagine going to any other school. I wouldn't imagine doing any other sport. I wouldn't imagine not running. I have put so much time into it, and running has been a part of me my whole life. I definitely wouldn't trade it for anything."

Coming Thursday: ASUN Championship Preview

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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Players Mentioned

Joe Beery: Senior

Ryan Newfrock: Senior

Nick Nweeia: Senior

Stewart Schmidt: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery
: Senior

Ryan Newfrock
: Senior

Nick Nweeia
: Senior

Stewart Schmidt
: Sophomore

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Stetson's Leader of the Pack

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Ryan Newfrock

Nick Nweeia

Stewart Schmidt

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Ryan Newfrock

Nick Nweeia

Stewart Schmidt