Olathe, Kan. - Nikiwe Mongwe broke down her 400m Nationals victory with Sports Information Director Chad Jenkins.
Chad Jenkins: How did you end up at MNU?
Nikiwe Mongwe: I bumped into [former MNU President] Dr. Spittal at a church event in Iowa and we introduced ourselves. I told him I do track, and he told me he had a school with a good program. He led me to the MNU recruiting members at the event, and the rest is history!
CJ: When did you start running seriously?
NM: I ran my entire life; it's a passion of mine. I had my first coach at the end of 2018 and competed under him in 2019. It's always been fun - serious, no; fun, yes.
CJ: People reading this may not know that you're just as strong in the 200. Which distance do you prefer?
NM: 200! I love the 2. It's my favorite event, and I think my best event.
CJ: During the season, do you pay attention to the other NAIA runners around the nation to see where you stand?
NM: No, I try to stay in my own lane because rankings can be misleading. You never know when someone might have a big day. So it doesn't matter if you are ranked 1 or 20 - the race is always up for grabs.
CJ: What's your race strategy for the 400? Go out fast and hang on, or start slower and use a big kick?
NM: I do whatever my coach says to do. I try to run an even race by having a great start, then holding on and building speed for a big kick at the end.
CJ: Talk about Indoor Nationals in the 200 and 400.
NM: Indoor was a test of resilience for me, honestly, because I was dealing with multiple injuries the entire season. I finished second in both events despite the setbacks, so I'm grateful.
CJ: Did those results fuel your drive for the Outdoor title?
NM: Yes, I'm always motivated to do my best. Even if I won the indoor title, I would be motivated to win outdoors as well.
CJ: Was there a moment during the race you knew you were going to win?
NM: No, I never know if I'm going to win until the race is over. I just knew that I needed to assert myself in the race and give everything I had until the end, and the results will show.
CJ: After the 400, you almost collapsed and really looked like you might be finished. But you lined up for the 200 an hour later. What was that hour like? Did you think you had something left, or was it clear you were done? Take us through that hour and then the race.
NM: After I finished that 400, my teammates carried me to the back. I was gassed out, honestly. I rested for 20 minutes, then I used the NormaTec boots for 10 minutes. After that, I warmed up for five minutes and lined up to race. After the gun went off, I tried for a couple steps to get something out of myself, but I guess I must have used it in the 400 because I was barely jogging. I'm glad I lined up, though, just to rep it out.
CJ: Final thoughts?
NM: I just want to thank MNU, the coaching staff, my teammates, my friends, and family that supported me through this journey. I hope I got to put on a show for anyone that got to see me run.
