MUNCIE, Ind. — No one knows exactly when the competitive nature inside Nicki Southerland began.
Nicki has been running her whole life but she said sixth grade was when she began training every day. Her competitiveness, however, was prevalent well before that. When she was just five years old, Nicki remembers approaching the finish line at the end of a mile race and holding her arms out so no one could pass her.
Jen and Shane Southerland, parents of the Delta freshman cross country runner, pointed to a moment when Nicki was just four years old. As a family, the Southerland's went on family walks and, with Nicki being the youngest, she was told she'd have to take her bike to keep up.