Just like when she”s on the track or cross country course, Aptos High runner Nikki Hiltz knew what she wanted when it came to picking a college. She just had to wait for the right time to make her move.
Hiltz announced Friday that she has committed to University of Oregon, a school she says she has wanted to attend since she was a young girl.
“I”ve seen the other schools and what they had to offer. At Oregon, everything fit together,” Hiltz said. “I just felt like this is where I want to be. I wanted to go to Oregon my whole life. It was impossible to turn down.”
Hiltz also visited Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Washington and Stanford. She will receive a scholarship from the Ducks — the reigning NCAA Division I champion in women”s cross country — that will cover her tuition and books, or what she estimates is about 80 percent of her costs.
Hiltz holds the California Interscholastic Federation state championship in the 1,600 meters, winning it in June in a county record of 4 minutes, 42.45 seconds. Before she ran the race, she picked an inspirational quote by Steve Prefontaine to write on her hand.
Prefontaine also inspired her to run for Oregon, where he once held the American record in seven distance track events. It also helps that her mother, Liz, attended the school in Eugene, a track-crazy town.
“I think I was in elementary school. I watched the movie ”Without Limits” about Steve Prefontaine. He”s kind of my hero and he goes to Oregon so I want to run for Oregon,” Hiltz said. “I remember telling my mom when I was really little that I want to run for Oregon. She was like ”OK,” and she was probably thinking, ”There”s no way she”s going to be that good.””
Mariners distance coach Dan Gruber said he thinks the Oregon coaches, headed by Maurica Powell, will be surprised at how good Hiltz can be. He says that even though in her junior year, Hiltz won the state Division III cross country title and swept the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championships in cross country, the 1,600 and the 800.
She will likely run cross country and the 1,500, and possibly even the steeplechase, for the Ducks.
“I think they”ll be extremely surprised to see the talent she”s got. She has so much left in her,” Gruber said. “If I can toot my own horn, I think she”s been worked smartly and to point where she can progress. She hasn”t come close to topping out. When you see her collegiate career, you will say, ”Where did this girl come from?””
Hiltz has been underground during the fall cross country season, which she missed after suffering a stress fracture late in the summer. It is a common injury for runners and Gruber said she is progressing well. She removed a protective boot two weeks ago and went for her first test jog on solid ground Friday. Gruber said her final review is scheduled for Dec. 18.
As if Hiltz, a 5-foot-3 ball of energy, wasn”t antsy enough to get back on the track, she now has additional motivation.
“I”m going to be really anxious and ready to compete,” she said. “I think I”ll be really excited to show I”m going to Oregon. I”m really excited for track and to go to Oregon.”
