Shelby Township native making his mark in collegiate track

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — In his senior year at Warren De La Salle Collegiate High School at the 2022 Michigan High School Division 1 State Finals, Shelby Township native Nathan Iacona ended his final high school season with an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter, earning all-state honors.

It was the final piece of an unordinary yet successful high school career in which Iacona had lost his sophomore year to COVID-19, but it also opened up a new chapter, as he continued his track career at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.

While everything seemed to be a bit of a culture shock for Iacona as he settled into collegiate competition, the feeling of success was something that seemed to be contagious for the freshman runner.

“The biggest difference is everyone’s fast,” Iacona said. “In high school, you run against kids in some meets and you’ll be the only fast kid there. In college, every meet, you’re running against all fast kids who are pushing you. You never know what the outcome could be.”

In his first year at Aquinas, Iacona earned All-American honors in the 400-meter at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Indoor Track and Field Championships at South Dakota State University on March 4, finishing fifth with a time of 47.82 seconds.

While All-American honors are impressive, Iacona’s 47.69 time in the prelims, which was second in the nation, broke a 20-year-old school record in the 400-meter as well.

“I had talked about it with my dad because I tried to get the high school record at De La Salle but never ended up getting it,” Iacona said. “I always looked at it, but the first thing I focused on was hitting a (personal record) and doing better than high school. I didn’t know the time really, so it was definitely a shock.”

Iacona also led the 4x400 team to a 3:15:96 time at the national championship meet, breaking a 10-year-old school record as well.

For most, Iacona’s breakout season came as a surprise solely due to the difficult transition from high school to college. For Iacona’s former coach at De La Salle, Dominic Reid, it was exactly the transition he expected from Iacona.

“That didn’t surprise me at all,” Reid said. “I was expecting him to break out his senior year of high school, but like I said, we lost that one year because of COVID. I knew it was just a matter of time before he really blossomed like this.”

For Aquinas assistant coach Kevin Winne, he got a firsthand look at what the future of Aquinas track could look like.

Winne said it was a pleasant surprise to see Iacona make a massive impact in his first season on the team.

“Every now and then, we’ll have some freshmen who come in and do very well,” Winne said. “A lot of times, it happens on the women’s side more than the men’s side, so for him to do as well as he did was pretty impressive.”

Iacona’s track season would end with the indoor season as a hamstring injury sidelined him for the outdoor season, but that’s not holding him back from returning with another record to break in mind.

A record holder for the 400-meter and 4x400 relay in indoor, Iacona would like to take the outdoor 400 records next season, and Winne said there’s no doubt in his mind that the 400-meter record is in jeopardy.

“Oh yeah,” Winne said. “He’s got the ability to smash that record.”

Double majoring in sports management and business administration, Iacona is equally as successful in the classroom, earning dean’s list recognition this season with a 3.7 GPA.

After a freshman campaign like this, all eyes will be on him as he enters his sophomore season, and Iacona is welcoming the challenge.

“I know what is expedited of me, and I know the competition and what it’s like in college,” Iacona said. “It’s the fact that knowing what’s expected and what’s going to happen eases my mind, because I know what to expect. As a freshman, I didn’t know how different it would be coming from high school.”