Nadine Mulvany may be the fastest female cross country runner in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and has yet to run her first race.
Although she is one of the newer faces on Florida A&M’s team, she is also one of the most respected. The 21-year-old Criminal Justice student from San Diego, Calif., is the number one runner on the FAMU women’s cross country team. She transferred from Southwestern Community College, where she was recruited by head coach Darlene Moore.
Moore said Mulvany has one of the top times for distance. “Nadine transferred in with the top time out of all my young ladies. When we practice distance runs, she is always the top finisher,” Moore said. According to the conference website, last year’s top runner in the conference championship came from Howard with a time of 18:19.70.
Mulvany’s personal record is 18:05 in a 5K (3.1 miles) run. She strives to get top three in the MEAC and to help her teammates improve as well. “Motivation is a big strength in my ability to run,” Mulvany said. “My family is the number one thing. They are always cheering for me even though they are not here physically.” Moore said she sees even more potential for this year’s group with Mulvany on the team. “I’ve only been coaching her for two weeks and I have yet to see any challenges,” Moore said. “I am looking for her to finish in the top three of the MEAC.”
Moore said the addition to the team will move FAMU up the charts. “Last season the team finished in eighth place at the championship,” Moore said. “With the new athletes, along with the veteran runners, we are seeking to finish third place as a team at the championship.” Ariel Allen, a 19-year-old Early Childhood Education student from Jacksonville, summarized Mulvany as an overall “good spirited person.” “She’s very talented. She works to better herself in her different events, and even if she is tired she still pushes herself to the fullest,” Allen said.
“There’s a lot of pressure. You have to maintain that status as well as help teammates improve,” Mulvany said.