The No. 21 San Diego State track and field team had an incredible indoor track season, which resulted in its first ever Mountain West Conference indoor title.
Now the Aztecs are hoping to claim an outdoor track title. The Daily Aztec’s Adriana Bush sat down with freshman Nicole Oudenaarden, who just broke the heptathlon school record, to talk about her accomplishments.
Adriana Bush: What are you looking forward to the most this season?
Nicole Oudenaarden: I’m looking forward to the NCAAs coming up. It’ll be really cool to be a freshman and go out there. So far, looking at the list, I’m the only freshman in there.
AB: Do you think it’s harder to break your own record as opposed to someone else’s?
NO: It’s fun being able to break your own record over and over again. Then, you’re just able to better yourself. It’s like something that I set previously becomes my new goal and if I can reach it and go beyond it, makes me feel like all of the training is worth it. Being able to represent your school at bigger meets and say, “I broke my school’s record in the midst of this.”
AB: When was your favorite track meet this season and why?
NO: I liked indoor conference actually, because I was able to be a part of the first time SDSU women’s track has ever gone to conference and won it. The energy that was there and watching the 4×4 team, it was the coolest thing ever because everyone was cheering and getting into it, and to know that I was able to contribute to that win was just so cool.
AB: Have you participated in any other sports?
NO: In high school, I used to do badminton, volleyball, basketball and when I was younger, I did speed skating. My second oldest sister went to the Olympics in 2010 for speed skating.
AB: What made you want to come to SDSU from Canada?
NO: The team itself, actually. When I came down to visit, I met some of the girls and Coach Shelia Burrell, I was like, “This is where I got to be.” It’s such a family atmosphere if you come to our practices in the mornings. You’ll just see us joking around and we’ll be dying during our runs and stop to laugh.
AB: How has your freshman year been so far?
NO: Everyone said it’s going to be hard to balance school and sports. Of course there are difficulties, but I’m having fun. We do the weirdest things, like going an hour and a half away to go line dancing and midnight bowling and the Harlem shake here on the track. So we fill our time with a lot of fun stuff like the Aztecs Nights and the carnivals. My biggest fear coming to State was that I wasn’t going to meet anybody or that I would be that awkward person in my dorm room always doing homework, and it’s been the complete opposite. There are so many great groups on campus that I just never want to leave.
AB: What would you like to do after college?
NO: I’m in kinesiology right now and I would like to go in osteopathy. I’m not sure if I want to go back home to Canada or if I want to stay in America. It’s so nice down here. But I definitely want to keep training. My goal is to try out for the Olympics, and it’s easier in Canada because the standards aren’t as high. I’m hoping to travel this summer and compete in track meets out of the country and to follow in my sister’s footsteps since she’s an Olympic athlete.
AB: Is there anything you would like students to know about the track team?
NO: No one comes to our meets ‘cause they think it’s all day and boring, but some of the coolest things happen here on the track. It’s the base to almost all sports and it’s really fun to come out and watch and cheer on your friends. We don’t get a lot of people out here, it’s quiet when your running an 800-meter and you can’t hear anybody. I know some schools have massive rallies going on in the bleachers for track meets and I’m like “How cool would that be.” All I can say is get to know a couple track people, they may be shy at first, but they are ridiculous when you get to know them like the throwers are just off the chain and hilarious. Students should try to come out to our meets because it’s quiet out here and we can use some more people on the 400-meter track.
