Posted 2/23/06
UW-Platteville's Nick Fix is a long and triple jumper on the Pioneer track and field team. The senior from Oconomowoc earned NCAA Division III honors in the triple jump last spring, placing eighth in the country with a leap of 47-feet 8-inches.
How is your season going?
"I pulled my groin in the first meet of the year, so I took two weeks off, and I came back last week. I'm back to full strength, but I have to work on my timing. Technique work is really important."
When you talk about technique, it is really different with the triple jump. When were you first attracted you to that event?
"I didn't start doing it until halfway through my junior year in school year. They wanted me to jump 39 feet for a the relay meet, and in practice I went about 39. Then in the actual meet I went 41, and we wound up winning the meet. It wasn't until I got college that I learned how that event works and what it should feel like and what it should look like when I'm jumping."
Most people really have no idea the steps involved with that. Can you describe what is involved with the triple jump?
"There are three phases. There is the hop phase, then the middle phase, which is the step, and then the final phase, the jump, which goes into the sand. You have to either jump left-left-right (foot) or right-right-left. I go left-left-right. It's hard to explain."
Was it hard to master?
"Very. It definitely takes a lot of work. You have to stay on top of it. You can't sit and still be good at it. I lost something in those weeks, and it showed. Timing is the main thing. Timing has to be right on."
When do you know if you've landed a good jump?
"You can feel it by the way you hit the board. When you have a good triple jump, it feels like you're not jumping at all. Everything feels effortless. But when you have a bad one, it hurts. You have to strain and struggle, and you end up jarring your back. Long jump is the same way."
What was the experience like at the national championships last year?
"That was great. I had been waiting for that for a while. In my freshmen year, I had a provo (provisionally qualifying mark), but missed out on indoor nationals by one spot. Ever since then, I've been hungry to get back there."
Did the meet exceed expectations?
"A little bit, but there was a lot more tension. Usually meets are laid-back, but everybody was focused. There is a lot on the line for people."
What are your goals for this year?
"I would like to get back to nationals in both indoor and outdoors, and I'd like to get closer to the school records."
How are your academics progressing?
"They're going pretty well. I started off in engineering, but decided it wasn't for me. I switched to industrial tech. I am an industrial technology major, emphasis in manufacturing technology, and I'm a metals minor. This summer I have an internship with a company called Silgan Containers, who make cans and ends for Campbell Soups and Delmonte Fruit. They are going to have me do some product development and testing."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson