Kent State track program bolstered by former Akron Zips runner Nick Stricklen

How does a graduate of ‘The School Down The Road’ become a record-holder on Kent State University’s track and field program?

Yes, you read that right.

Nick Stricklen. University of Akron graduate. Top 5K time in Golden Flashes' history.

Toss in the fact that Stricklen joined the Kent State track program last fall as a graduate assistant, with no intention of ever running competitively again at the collegiate level, and you have one of the most bizarre and entertaining stories linking the two bitter backyard rivals that’s ever been told.

“I never would have expected this, but I'm having a blast,” Stricklen said, laughing. “This whole story has been quite a ride.”

Here’s how Stricklen made a successful transition from Akron to Kent State, long considered forbidden in any sport, while making only minimal waves.

A Zip becomes a Flash

Stricklen joined the Zips program in 2016 following a standout career at Lexington High School near Mansfield. He wound up earning All-MAC second-team honors in both track and cross country during a solid five-year stint at Akron, but never really reached his own lofty expectations.

“I had some races here and there at Akron that I was pretty happy with,” said Stricklen, “but I always had a little bit bigger goals.”

Stricklen graduated from Akron in May of 2020 and promptly took some time away from competitive running.

“At that point, I really didn’t have much interest in running fast again,” said Stricklen. “I needed some time off mentally and physically. Running beats you up. My training was pretty intense, and I don’t think that I ever had enough time to fully recover from anything while at Akron from week to week, month to month, season to season. So I took about 10 months off structured training.”

After dabbling in road biking, Stricklen slowly regained his interest in distance running.

“Last April I started training again,” he said. “I was looking for something to give me motivation to start really training hard, so I looked into the Akron Marathon race series. I knew if I signed up for it, that would give me motivation to start training again.”

At the same time, Stricklen began plotting his career course.

“I started looking for opportunities to coach,” he said.

That search led him to contact Kent State director of track and field/cross country Bill Lawson, a man he had never actually met.

“I don't think I had ever talked to [Lawson] before. But it’s pretty easy to know who he is when you’re in the [Mid-American Conference],” said Stricklen. “He's got the energy that you want in a track and field coach, got the passion. I just shot him an email, then he called me the next day.”

The Flashes had just regained a graduate assistant position that was a victim of budget cuts during the pandemic.

“I was honestly in the right place at the right time,” said Stricklen. “He just happened to have a grad assistant position opening up in the fall, so that was a perfect opportunity for me to get into what I wanted to do, which was coaching.”

Passion for running returns

While joining the Flashes' staff, the competitive running bug that Stricklen believed had flown away permanently when his Akron career ended started biting him again. A victory at the Akron Marathon last September only fueled his running fire.

"I won the Akron Marathon, then three weeks later I got sixth at the Columbus Marathon,” said Stricklen. “Things were really clicking. After I ran those marathons, something just changed. I felt more confident going into races, and confident about pushing even when I'm tired.”

At about this time, the collegiate cross country season was winding down. Lawson was plotting the future of his KSU distance program along with his assistant coaches when a startling realization surfaced.

“We’re forward thinking how to win these conference meets and how to improve our distance program on the track, and Nick kind of sheepishly says, ‘well, I do have a year of eligibility left,’ said Lawson. “And I'm like, 'what?'”

After turning the page following his Akron career, Stricklen sort of shoved to the back of his mind the fact that he lost two years of outdoor track and field due to an injury and the pandemic.

“I didn’t ever plan on competing in another uniform,” said Stricklen. “If I had ever actually sat down and thought about it for a second, I would have realized that I had another year of eligibility, but it wasn’t something I was actively thinking about. My commitment at that point was to be a coach. I don’t think that I ever really considered running [at Kent State] until about halfway through last fall.”

When Stricklen showed interest in running for the Flashes during the 2022 outdoor track season, Lawson provided immediate encouragement.

“Coach Lawson was supportive of me running,” said Stricklen, “and that’s when I really started strongly considering it again.”

Stricklen runs wild

Based on how well he was running and motivated to reach new heights as a collegiate runner, Stricklen quickly agreed to compete one last season for the Flashes.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” said Stricklen. “When things were going right for me in the fall, I just knew that this was going to be a good opportunity for me to kind of give it one last shot. There was a lot I left on the track while at Akron. I wanted to leave my college running career proud of what I did. Up until now, I don’t think that I could have said that.”

If Stricklen would have merely produced the same times he ran while at Akron, he would have given Kent State’s program a major boost. As it turns out, Stricklen is now running better than ever — by far.

Stricklen started by running an indoor 3K at Akron in early February and finished in 8 minutes, 10 seconds, beating his previous top time by seven seconds.

“At that time I hadn’t done a ton of workouts, wasn’t really tuned up,” said Stricklen. “Right then and there I knew that I was on track to be much faster than I've ever been.”

Despite a somewhat disappointing effort in the 10K at the Raleigh Relays in late March, his first official race as a Kent State runner, Stricklen still entered the Indiana Invitational 5K race in late April brimming with confidence.

“I went into that [5K] race trying to run around a 14:10, and the school record was 14:14,” said Stricklen. “It’s interesting thinking about trying to run a 27-second [personal record]. It’s a little daunting. But I felt super confident going into the race.”

Stricklen’s first collegiate 5K event unfolded just as he had hoped.

“I got through probably 3,200 meters in nine flat. When things are going right in a race and you’re more than halfway through, you get an adrenaline rush,” said Stricklen. “Even though I was getting tired, and every lap was getting more difficult, I knew that the race was going well and moving fast. That excitement, and the adrenaline, just kept me going. I just wanted it. I knew that I was on pace to run a really fast time.”

Stricklen finished in 14:06.57, shattering both his personal record and the previous KSU program mark.

“When I came through with two laps to go I knew I was going to do it. It was just a matter of how much I could get under that school record,” said Stricklen. “That is probably my most proud race to date. That was exciting."

No bad blood

No matter the sport, there is no love lost between members of the Kent State and Akron programs. If the Zips believed the Flashes had plucked Stricklen from them that certainly would not have sat well. But he and Lawson both insist that was not whatsoever the case.

“Nick didn’t leave Akron with animosity or anything like that,” said Lawson. “I think he thought his running career at the collegiate level was over, then all of a sudden here he is with us. He sees how training is going with some of our other kids, he’s feeling good. Not until he said something did I even know he had eligibility left.”

Stricklen has run into his former Zips coaches and teammates on several occasions since joining the Flashes, and the meetings have been cordial.

"I've got some really good friends who are still competing for Akron, and it’s fun to see them. They’re all racing really well. I'm happy for them,” he said. “I’ll still talk to the [Akron] coaches when I'm at a meet, and it's friendly. They’re all very supportive of my journey, and where I've gone. It is really nice that nobody is very upset that I've gone to the other side."

Stricklen is proud to be running faster than ever as a member of the Flashes.

“Where I'm at now is kind of where I pictured myself being when I was coming out of high school,” said Stricklen. “I just didn’t quite feel that I lived up to my expectations while at Akron.”

Stricklen tackles a major challenge

After setting Kent State’s program record in the 5K, Stricklen returned to action at the Ashland Alumni Open on May 1 and won the 3,000-meter steeplechase by more than a minute in 9:11.95. He then turned his attention to a monumental three-day challenge at the 2022 MAC Outdoor Championships, set for Thursday through Saturday in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Stricklen is scheduled to run the 10K on Thursday, the steeplechase on Friday, and the 5K on Saturday.

“He will be doing the almost impossible triple,” said Lawson. “It’s been eight or nine years since we’ve had a guy do that.”

What about Stricklen makes Lawson believe he can pull it off?

"If I had to bet on anybody I would bet on Nick. He’s tough as nails,” said Lawson. “The only thing I would say for all these distance kids is that it’s going to be tough, because we’ve been running in [cool] weather and now it’s going to be 80 degrees every day up there. That’s not the easiest triple, especially in the heat.”

Stricklen is stoked to tackle yet another improbable challenge.

“The triple is going to be difficult. But my experience running a marathon, then running another marathon three weeks later, is going to pay off now because I have learned how to recover better and faster, and to not be so exhausted going into the next race,” he said. “Even though that seems like a scary MAC Championship for me, I am feeling excited and confident going into it. Luckily all three of those events are on separate days, and luckily the 10K is first. If it were last, that would be really tough to finish. But being the first event, that will set me up well for the rest of the meet. Hopefully, at the end of that race, I have a shot to win.”

Back to coaching

After his final outdoor track season ends, Stricklen will return to his coaching role at Kent State.

“My master’s program is a two-year program, so my plan is to remain as a coach at Kent State next year,” said Stricklen.

Stricklen is thrilled to aid a Flashes distance program that’s on the rise.

"This year it’s been really cool to be part of the coaching staff and also running, but also seeing the opportunities we have to enter different people in different events,” he said. “Now we have the depth to strategically enter people in events that we think are going to be most beneficial to the whole team. I think we’re building some momentum for the distance program. It's an exciting time for Kent distance to be growing the way it is.”

The addition of Stricklen, first as a coach and then as an athlete, has given Kent State’s distance group an unexpected jolt from the ‘other side.’

“It's not just his athletic prowess that he’s adding to our program, it’s his leadership, maturity,” said Lawson. “He's a fun guy. We like him as a staff member. He’s added to the program in that respect, and of course now also as an athlete. It’s the best of both worlds.”

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State's Nick Stricklen started his college career at Akron