Historically, mid-February has been the most difficult time of the track & field season for Lyndhurst’s Nikalena Iacono. Whether it be fatigue, the cold winter weather, or the unconventional training that comes as a result of it, Iacono has noticed this part of the year, particularly around the group meets of the indoor season of when her performance seemed to tail off the most.
“For me, the spring is when I usually do better,” said Iacono. “I usually increase my throws by more feet and have a better number in the spring compared to the winter.
“I also felt like towards the end of the winter and the past few seasons, by the time I got to groups, my shoulder would be hurting and I wouldn’t be throwing my best anymore. I had kind of reached my peak.”
This winter, what normally has been a rough patch for Iacono, has instead become the best stretch of her throwing career.
At the NJSIAA Group 2 & 3 Championships on Feb. 21, Iacono surprised herself, when she smashed her previous personal best in the shot put with a throw of 39-5. The throw proved good enough to give Iacono the Group 2 title in the event and, in addition, make her The Observer Athlete of the Week.
“I am very surprised. This year is totally different,” Iacono said. “I’m very happy with the way it’s going and I’m glad that I still have a few meets left to still try and better that number and then go right into spring, starting off high.”
Before the season, Iacono’s previous personal best for indoor or outdoor, was 37-2 last May at the Bergen County Meet of Champions.
Iacono first broke that mark at the Bergen County Relays when she threw a 37-8.5 on Jan. 21. A week later, Iacono set a school record when she threw a 38-2.5 at the NJIC Indoor Championships. Then, after winning her third North 2, Group 2 Indoor title in the shot put, on Feb. 11, at the Bergen County Championships, Iacono threw a 38.5-5.
At the Group 2 Championships, Iacono went in with the goal of breaking her personal record. She accomplished that on the second of her six throws.
“I think my first throw was 37 something. So I was like, okay, it’s fine. It put me in first place, but I wasn’t satisfied with it,” Iacono said. “I knew being at 37 would keep me too close because there were a bunch of girls who could throw around that number. So I kind of wanted to obviously throw better for more security. So on the second throw, I went in with less pressure and obviously just threw a lot better. When I threw it, I knew it was good, but I didn’t think it was as good as it was.”
“It’s just super cool to see somebody that has put in the time and now you’re seeing those results,” said head coach Kimberly Hykey, calling Nikalena the female athlete most dedicated to the weight room she has ever coached. “And there’s more there, she’s not done. She’s just getting into what she’s capable of and we’re excited. I think she could have a really nice outdoor season when the weather ever gets warm and the snow goes away. I think she had a nice winter to set her up for a nice spring.”
It’s come at a time that should have been the most challenging for Iacono since Lyndhurst does not have an indoor track and the brutal weather this winter has virtually eliminated any opportunity for her and her teammates to throw outside. Instead, it’s been a winter spent throwing the ball against the wall in the Lyndhurst locker room or doing extra time in the weight room.
Despite the far from ideal training conditions, Lyndhurst’s throwers have had a strong season, which in Hykey’s opinion is a testament to Iacono’s leadership.
“She really led the way and she’s showing the other kids, you work hard, you can see results,” Hykey said. “I think she’s a big part of everybody getting PRs this year, which is even better.”
Now Iacono’s focus is on the Meet of Champions, which is set for March 8 at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island, NY. If past years are any indication, the best is yet to come for Iacono both now and in the outdoor season this spring.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)