When Christiana Nwachuku arrived at Kent Place as a freshman in 2018, she was looking forward to playing on the softball team. But she never made it to the diamond.
Instead, she accidentally discovered a new talent and a new passion that has completely changed the course of her life.
"I started track my freshman year of high school as a way to stay in shape for softball season in the spring,'' said Nwachuku. "I had never run before, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. During that first indoor season, I ended up progressing all the way to Nationals, and my coaches (along with my teammates) practically begged me to come out for outdoor as well! I figured it was worth a shot, quit softball, and ran outdoor track my freshman year, and the rest is history! I fell in love with running, and honestly couldn't imagine myself doing anything other than track.''
Nwachuku's decision to stick with track and field couldn't have worked out any better.
Last spring, she won the 100, 200, and 400 at the State Non-Public A Championships, placed third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 at the Meet of Champions, and ran PR's of 11.95 in the 100, 24.72 in the 200, and 55.99 in the 400.
Fast forward to 2022 and Nwachuku is currently the No. 1 ranked sprinter in the state in the 55 dash, and is favored to win that event at the Meet of Champions next month.
This past Sunday, Nwachuku dropped her NJ No. 1 time in the 55m dash down to 7.10, and ran 25.92 in the 200 to win both of those races at the Union County Championships at the Jersey City Armory. Nwachuku also placed third in the 400 in a NJ No. 4 58.34 to help Kent Place finish second in the team standings.
In addition to being ranked No. 1 in the state this season in the 55 and No. 4 in the 400, Nwachuku, who is undefeated this season in the 55 and the 200, is ranked No. 3 in the 200 with a 25.75.
NJ MileSplit recently caught up with Nwachuku for an in depth Q and A where she shed some insight about a variety of topics, including her thoughts on winning the first two county titles of her career, her quest to get under 7.00 in the 55 dash and capture her first Meet of Champions title, her college plans, and a whole lot more.
So kick back and enjoy our latest installment of Feature Friday as we shine the spotlight on Kent Place senior Christiana Nwachuku, one of the biggest stars in the state.
NJM: How did it feel to finally win the first two county titles of your career last Sunday when you captured the 55 and 200? You've had some very close losses in your career in the past at the county meets, so it must have felt pretty sweet to break through and win!
It was so cool to finally win an event at a county meet! Like you said, I've obviously had so many close races in the past, and I'm so happy that I finally was able to pull through with the win!
What did it mean to you to lower your NJ No. 1 down to 7.10 in the dash, which is very close to your PR of 7.06?
It was honestly exhilarating! I remember thinking to myself as soon as I saw the time "I'm back baby!" I think after a really rough indoor season last year with COVID and all, it feels really good to know it was just a hiccup and I'm finally back on track.
I'll be honest, it still feels kind of unreal and I don't think I've actually ever processed it. I'm pretty big on staying humble about rankings and stuff like that, because anything can change and that's the beauty of track! Obviously, I know with this title comes a lot of younger runners who look up to me, so it definitely means a lot to me to be a role model.
You've been very close to winning a Meet of Champions title in the past, so I'm wondering how big of a goal is it for you to win at least one M of C title this indoor season? How much are you motivated by that goal, and what would that mean to you?
The last time I competed at an indoor Meet of Champions was my sophomore year, and I'm definitely a little sad about missing out on the meet my junior year. Since it is my last indoor MOCs, it would definitely be sentimental to win a title, so I've definitely been putting in the work to have a chance at making that happen.
What are your biggest time goals for the rest of the season in all your events? I imagine getting under 7.00 is one of the biggest targets for you?
Running under 7.00 in the 55 has been a goal of mine since I was in 10th grade, and I'm really hoping I can make that happen this year. I've been putting in a lot of grueling work in hopes of doing it, but we'll see! Only time will tell, and if it's meant to be it'll be! In terms of the 2, I truly feel like I can run it better outdoors, so I try not to stress over it too much indoors because I know it's not reflective of what I can do when I'm on a 400-meter track! For 400m goals, breaking 57 indoors is definitely something I've thought about but running under 7.00 is a goal that honestly takes precedence over it in my mind.
What do you feel you have to work on specifically to get under 7.00? What's the biggest key to getting the time you want?
I feel like every short sprinter will say this when asked what they need to work on, but my starts can always use more improvement! Getting out the blocks quicker will only help me lower my time in hopes of running sub 7!
You run all the sprints from 55 through 400, so I am wondering which race is your favorite and why?
I feel like this is a no-brainer! The 55m is 100% my favorite, I absolutely love it. I'm honestly addicted to the simplicity of it: all I need to do is run in a straight line, and my end is directly in front of me. The 400 is really close behind though because I love the last 150 and just pushing myself. I feel like it allows me to grow mentally!
My next meet will be the Varsity Classic at the NY Armory (Monday, Feb. 7). 'll be running the 55 and the 200!
How and when did you get started in the sport of track and field? How did this all happen?
Funny story, I actually started track my freshman year of high school as a way to stay in shape for softball season in the spring. I had never run it before, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. During that first indoor season, I ended up progressing all the way to Nationals and my coaches (along with my teammates) practically begged me to come out for outdoor as well! I figured it was worth a shot, quit softball, and ran outdoor track my freshman year, and the rest is history! I fell in love with running, and honestly couldn't imagine myself doing anything other than track.
When was your big breakthrough, when you realized that you could really be a great sprinter and do big things in this sport?
That's a tough question! I'd say I've been blessed with a lot of amazing competition over my high school career, and I've really looked up to many of the older girls I've run against (but of course, I'd never tell them that!). With that being said, there have been many races against these older girls where I've realized "wow, maybe I can be great sprinters like them," but a defining race was definitely my 55 at the Meet of Champs when I was in 10th grade. Never in my life did I think I could ever run a 7.06, and I absolutely freaked out when I saw it on the screen in Ocean Breeze. I felt like that was definitely a mental breakthrough for me. That told me I can run insane times if I just put myself up to the challenge and stop doubting myself!
What do you love the most about being a track and field athlete?
I'm a pretty big fan of the mental toughness that being a track athlete demands. I've come to realize mental toughness is something that can be applied in just about every aspect of my life, and the more I have of it, the better I will be at navigating challenges I come across!
You've had a lot of great highlights during your track and field career, but which one are you most proud of and why?
This is so hard! I would probably say the 4x4 I ran with my teammates when I was in 9th grade! I believe it was at counties! The energy was just so pure, most of us had no idea what we were doing, and we ended up running a 3:53 which was insane and a new school record! It's definitely one of the best highlights solely because it felt amazing to do something huge like that with an amazing group of people! Relays are always the best because I get to run my race but also be a part of something greater!
I'd say my greatest strength is definitely my persistence. Especially with an event like the 55, it becomes addicting to lower my times and my determination to constantly run faster is really something that I feel pushes me to try and become an even greater sprinter.
Not a day goes by that I don't watch a video of Athing Mu or Sydney McLaughlin running some crazy time. I know this might be odd considering Sydney is a hurdler, and Athing is a distance runner, and I am none of those, but I'm just obsessed with the way they don't even look like they are running! I've definitely realized I needed to open up my stride more after watching them run, and it helped a lot especially on the backstretch of the 400! I also have taken a liking to Gabby Thomas and her incredible 200 at the Olympic Trials because she got out really hard, reminding me I need to do the same for my 200.
What has your training been like this season? Any specific workouts/drills you are focusing on, and what areas of your races are you focused on trying to improve the most?
This season, I've really tried to focus on strengthening my speed endurance which is really helpful for the last 150 of my 400. In order to improve my speed endurance I've found that training like a mid-distance runner really helps, so workouts like broken 800s and broken 1200s are the new norm for me. On the opposite side of that spectrum, I've also taken a liking to blockwork and trying to be more explosive for my 55.
I noticed that you're committed to UPenn. Congrats on that! What was about the school and the track and field program that made you feel that UPenn was the best for you?
Thank you so much! From the moment I stepped onto campus, Penn just felt like home. Not only did UPenn have the academic rigor I was looking for in a school, I absolutely loved the energy of the team and their incredibly goal-oriented nature. Overall, the university and the track program were definitely places I could see myself thriving academically and athletically, and I felt like it had the perfect balance of both. I'm so excited!!
What are your biggest long-term goals in track and field beyond high school, what are you planning to study at UPenn, and what type of career are you planning to pursue?
Honestly, college is a completely different ball game in terms of indoor short sprints because they do the 60m rather than the 55m dash, so I'm excited to make the switch! I can't say I have any solidified goals yet, but that's mainly because I like to take my seasons one at a time, and I still need to finish this indoor season before I can worry about the next one! In terms of what I will be studying, I'm incredibly interested in the intersection of computer science and business, and plan on pursuing a major(s) that allow me to capture that passion. I'm not sure what exact career path I'm planning to pursue yet but I'd love to work within financial technology.