Four years ago, no one would have ever guessed that North Rockland runner Jonathan Miklos could ever become one the fastest Red Raiders and the captain of their cross country team.
He was always one of the last North Rockland runners to cross the finish line, was putting up unimpressive times — such as his 21-minute mark at Bear Mountain — and worst of all, showed few signs of improvement during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
But
Miklos, this week’s Journal News Rockland Scholar-Athlete of the
Week, never gave up, and after four years of hard work, the
Garnerville resident turned himself into one of the better runners
in the area.
Miklos was the co-captain of a North Rockland team that went 9-0 and won its league title this fall. He was also second-team all-county and completed the Bear Mountain course in 16:26, a remarkable 4:34 improvement over his freshman-year time.
“The kid has worked tirelessly through his four years and listened to everything that I’ve said to him,” North Rockland coach Barry Baloga said. “I’ve really loved watching him grow.”
As much as Miklos has improved as a runner, his greatest feats have very little to do with athletics. He was voted homecoming king — an especially impressive feat for someone whom Baloga describes as a “shy speaker” — is an honor student, and has helped refurbish the Nardi soccer fields, which were damaged by Tropical Storm Irene, for his Boy Scout Eagle Project.
In fact, fixing things and working with his hands is something that Miklos would like to do for the rest of his life. He is currently applying to college engineering programs throughout the country, even though Baloga says Miklos is plenty talented enough to race at the college level.
“I’d like to run in college, but I’m picking my college based on engineering programs,” Miklos said. “I really like problem-solving and working with my hands.”
Even though he doesn’t know yet where he will pursue his dream of becoming an engineer, those who know Miklos have no doubt that his path will be a successful one.
“Jon embodies what I want my program to be,” Baloga said. “He’s as dedicated and serious a student as you can be.”