“I just want it to be Saturday. I’ve been waiting since the end of cross country season for this.”
Saint Andrews’ eighth grader Nic Jacobsen is referring to the Florida Middle School State Championships and a chance to improve on his third place finish from a year ago. Jacobsen started out running as a little kid. He was a multi-sport athlete who participated in basketball, soccer and baseball. He says the sports became more competitive he began to realize his strength was his speed and he decided to give running a try.
“I was always sprinting down the sidelines and stealing the bases. I didn’t do anything too impressive until third grade when I had I to run the mile for P.E. around some soccer fields. I ran somewhere in the mid six minute range and was told that was the fastest anyone from my lower school had ran it.”
In sixth grade Jacobsen began running cross country and decided to drop baseball with the advice of his parents and coaches for track. He ran 5:10 in the mile and from then on track and cross country became his sole sports. He says running for a school like St. Andrews that goes to 12th grade is a neat experience because he gets to run in larger meets and against older competition.
“In 6th grade when I came on I was shy and running with kids that were a foot taller than me. Once I entered 8th grade our #1 runner Brian Deiner (sub 10 minute guy and multiple state qualifier) took me under his wing and invited me to run with some teammates that summer. As I got better and better the guys started to accept me and I became part of an awesome of group of guys.”
Despite his age Jacobsen has stepped up and become a leader for the Scots. In nine of twelve meets the eighth grader placed either first or second in the 1600 or 3200. His most impressive accomplishment might have been the 4:35 he posted for 1600 meters at the Pepsi Florida Relays or his top 25 finish at the Cross Country Finals. He says his seven second personal best at Gainesville was incredible.
“I was so nervous and I had to run crazy splits in the outer lanes, but I came through at the exact time we thought my workouts had indicated I could run. Regrettably, I am always looking at times, records, rankings, etc. It’s cool to know that I’m not only the top in Florida for my age group, but also competitive on a national level. It’s just another thing that motivates me because there are always going to be kids setting better marks which pushes me to go faster.”
He also won the district championship in the 3200 and followed it up with a runner-up finish and new personal best at regionals with a time of 9:57.62. At the State Finals in Jacksonville Jacobsen crossed the line in 12th place. He says it was a little disappointing, but gives him confidence coming into the Middle School State Championship and his high school career.
“The high school state meet didn’t go as planned and I had a pretty miserable race, but it was only a time trial in the long run. The middle school state meet is what counts. It was great to get the experience in a big race and the state series leading up gave me loads of confidence because I did run some quick times in my 4x8 split and the 3200.”
As a sixth grader Jacobsen ran 10:30 for the 3000 and came in second to last in the 1500 at the Middle School State Championship. The winning time was a 9:52 and Jacobsen set his sights on breaking 9:50 the following year and he did only to fall short once again. He ran a 4:35 in the 1500 and learned that both races go out fast and that the rest along with the heat is pretty brutal. This year he wanted to try for the 3000, 1500, and 800, but instead is running the 3000, 4x4, and 1500.
“My main goal is to win a state title. The 3000 will be my main focus and I’ll keep the record in the back of my head. I’ve already run faster than 9:24 if you convert it to 3200 and its 200m less. The 4x400 we don’t have a great chance to medal so I might take it easy. In the 1500 I’ll have recovered as smart as possible so I will get out there and race with good tactics and give it my all for another win. Anything less than a win in both events will be disappointing.”
Winning won’t be a cake walk. There is a strong crop of middle school talent especially fellow eighth graders Brandon Marquez, Jesse Milson, and Gaby Correa. Most of that group has gone under 4:50 for the mile, a feat Jacobsen calls unreal.
“This group is astonishing. It could be one of the strongest classes Florida has had. Maybe it is the weather or just resurgence, but Florida’s future definitely looks impressive. The bar has been set a lot higher now and realistically sub five isn’t a top tier time for middle school boys anymore. It’s cool because I talk to those guys at meets and on Facebook and we all encourage each other with our goals and what not. We’re all friends, but on the track everything changes.”
No matter what happens at Calvary Christian, the site of the Middle School State Championships, Jacobsen knows to soak up the experience.
“The Middle School State Meet is fun and very competitive, but in a sense it’s a lot less pressure then the high school state meets. It’s even more motivating to know I have to wait until senior year to be at the top of the food chain again. Now is my shot to win.”
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