DistancePreps.com NewsFlash - Niceville senior Nick Morken a short while ago released via his twitter account that he has verbally committed to be a student-athlete in the Fall of 2013 for Coach Jeff Pigg's distance squad and The University of North Florida Ospreys in Jacksonville, Florida:

Photo by Brad McCann - Nick Morken (R) fights to the finish line at the 2013 FHSAA 3A State Meet

Nick is the defending State Champion in the 3A 1600 with PR's of 4:21.82 in the 1600, 10:19.79 in the 3200, and 15:07.57 in the 5K which he ran at the FSU Pre-State Invitational finishing 4th in the Boys Elite field.

This is the second significant committment for Coach Pigg's Osprey's over the last week as Stanton Prep standout Wesley Norton committed last week as well.

Nick cites Coach Pigg and the team was a big reason for choosing UNF.  He found Coach Pigg and the team reminded him a lot of his team in the "'Ville"; Knowledgable, friendly and with great personalities.  

A lot of the times, the college recruiting process can be quite stressful but Nick didn't find it "stressful at all".  He "had fun with it" and "knew that it would eventually come to an end" so he enjoyed it while it lasted.  

Nick recommends to get the most out of the recruiting process, runners "should enjoy it" and "don't overestimate a flashy appearance and look for something that fits you athletically, academically, and socially."

When asked about what kind of person the Osprey's are getting, Nick cites, being "a hard worker who will hopefully have an immediate impact on the squad."

Once he gets on campus in the fall and to take his running to the next level, Nick aims to work on moving up in distance to the college 8K and 10K races along with his nutrition as he told me, "he eats, a lot!"

Now that the recruiting process is over, Nick aims to focus on the rest of his high school career.  His next race will be the FACA All-Star Classic next weekend in Tallahassee at ARP.  It wasn't all that long ago that Nick ran his PR at the FSU Pre-State meet and wants to walk away from the All-Star Classic "feeling good" about his race, season, and XC career.

Nick's had a great career at Niceville High. When asked about his best experience as an Eagle, he's tempted to say his State winning performance in the 1600 at last year's State Track finals but he also fondly treasures "bonding with the guys over the years."

With tracks season just a few months away, Nick's goals are to repeat as the 1600m champion, "but more importantly", enjoy his last season as a Niceville Eagle!

Nick plans on majoring in Sports Management at North Florida.