PSN Spotlight: Sydney Nettles hurdles obstacles as track career continues
The month of June is nearly halfway over and Campbell Spartans track and field standout and Rutgers University signee, Sydney Nettles is just over a month removed from completing her final season of her high school career, one which got off to a start that could have easily forced the track star to call it quits sooner than she would have wanted, however she did not and capped her senior season with a silver medal finish and personal best time in the Georgia High School Association Class 7A track and field championship Girls 300 meter hurdles.
"My career was full of ups and downs. I had some health challenges," Nettles said as she explained how being diagnosed with POTS her freshman season nearly derailed the start to what would be a highly decorated four year run with the Spartans as well as her club program, Quicksilver, however she was willing to battle through the challenge.
"My support system and God helped me every step of the way, even when I wanted to quit, I had people around me that told me 'no'," Nettles said as she praised her family, coaches and teammates for the support they provided as she learned more about her diagnosis. "I'm very grateful for that," the Rutgers signee added.
Now, with her collegiate career on the horizon, Nettles has shifted her focus this summer to not only preparing for joining the Scarlet Knights, she is also has her sights set on bringing home another medal as the 11 time All-American prepares for the New Balance Nationals and she knows confidence will be an important factor for herself as she moving forward in her career.
"I recently started working on long hurdles again and one of the things I had not been able to do during my spring semester going into summer semester was attack your hurdles the way I should be, the way I can to hit the times I wanted to hit," Nettles said adding that being able to utilize her alternate leg was another area she wanted to strengthen.
And while Nettles accomplishments on the track have been recognized, she was recently awarded for academic performances as well when she was presented with the Patty Foell Scholarship by the Atlanta Track Club. The $10,000 scholarship was one of two given out at last week's ceremony to student athletes in 'good academic standing'.
"I thought it was really special," Nettles, who finished with a 4.60 grade point average, said upon receiving the award adding that, "being an elite athlete and an elite scholar as well is something that I am really proud of because with that, doing what I do and being able to do it on both levels, to have the marks that I have in the classroom and to have the marks that I have on the track, it was just really special to receive that award and to be recognized in front of all those other amazing people," Nettles said.
