Pulimood paces Pirates to XC crown
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Nikhil Pulimood took the lead from the beginning of the Mercer County Championship cross country race at Thompson Park last Friday.
Alone out front is a position that the West Windsor-Plainsboro High South senior likes more at the end of a race, not the start.
”I’m not really a big fan of it,” Pulimood said. “I don’t like running in the front. I like running right next to somebody. That’s my favorite position. Leading a race is the worst thing in the world. You have to do all the work.”
Pulimood didn’t let that bother him as he took an early lead and fulfilled his pre-race goal by winning the county boys title in 15 minutes, 49 seconds. Tim Bason, a junior, was second for the Pirates, who also won the team championship.
”It’s kind of continuing a tradition in our school,” Pulimood said. “The past couple of years, it’s been a South senior that’s won. It’s one of the most important things in our program — continuing traditions of the people that came before us and continuing their legacy.
”At a lot of schools, they’ll have a couple runners do well, then they don’t do well for a while. Coach (Kurt) Wayton has a continuing dynasty that’s going to continue further. The only way it’s going to do well is if people are willing to continue it, if next year, the juniors are willing to do what the seniors have done in the past.”
Pulimood has shown his willingness after enjoying a breakthrough season last year. He finished second in the county meet last season. This year, he pushed ahead of everyone to take the top spot.
”I think it’s a big deal for him, especially because Conor Murphy from Allentown is well coached and well trained and he’s tough as nails,” Wayton said. “I know Conor was really going after this race. For Nikhil to go out there and run the way he did, I thought it was pretty impressive. I wasn’t thinking this was a foregone conclusion.”
Nikhil Pulimood is the Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week.
”I didn’t want us running hard until the last mile and a half of the race,” Wayton said. “For the first mile and a half, he was very comfortable. He was in the lead, but I think that was just because no one else was taking the lead. He hung out there, and with a mile and a half, he applied pressure.”
It was the first time that the county meet had to be held at Thompson Park, which is also the sight of the Pirates’ next race, the Central Jersey Group IV championship that they will be looking to defend on Nov. 8. Last year, Pulimood was fourth at sectionals and covered the Thompson Park course in 15:58. The Mercer County race marked the first cross country race that he has won at the championship level.
”On an individual level, it’s great to win races,” Pulimood said. “I think it means more to win it for the program and the team overall to help them.”
Pulimood’s lead helped the Pirates held off Notre Dame and Robbinsville for the team title at counties. It was just what they wanted out of him.
”The mindset was really to win,” Pulimood said. “It wasn’t about a time. I think my time was only a couple seconds faster than last year’s at sectionals. It wasn’t about setting a course record. It was about going there and doing what I had to do. My coach basically told me to win the race, not anything more.
”I think I have a lot more left in me,” he added. “Through the race, I kind of sat for a while and then coach said at one point just to go so I did. I wasn’t really thinking about time. It was just get the race done.”
Pulimood has the potential to continue to win races even as the Pirates get into tougher competition at the state level.
”I was just saying to him (Monday) night that this is about the most confident that I’ve been with the group of guys physically in terms of what sort of shape they’re in,” Wayton said. “He did a workout that’s right up there with the best workouts he’s done. We’re training for him to run well into the 15s at Holmdel.
”We have very aggressive, ambitious plans for this season. He’s meeting all the expectations to this point. If he stays healthy and injury free, he could have a historic run down the stretch here.”
Pulimood is driven to finish his season stronger than he did last year. He is building off a spring track season that saw him win the 3,200 meters at sectionals and groups before placing fourth at the Meet of Champions.
”I think I had a really good summer,” Pulimood said. “I think I had a really good summer last year too, but this year is about continuing the summer through the year. I kind of peaked at Shore Coaches last year. This year is about making sure Shore Coaches wasn’t my peak and making sure I’m ready for the end of the season.
”Physically at this point, I’m right on where I should be,” he added. “I think I’m right up there with anybody. I think I just have to take care of my health and make sure I’m just as strong. That’s the hardest part. Coach has kind of prepared me for everything physically as much as he can. It’s up to me to deliver.”
Pulimood is setting the tone for the team this season after the graduation of some terrific leaders like Tom Vinci, last year’s county champion, and Karn Setya. Bason has taken a big step forward and can push Pulimood, and Pulimood sees a team has developed as a whole nicely through the season.
”I think physically we’re one of the best teams in the state, just the workouts we’re able to do, even our sixth and seventh guys are able to do,” Pulimood said. “It’s going to come down to mental ability and that’s the only place we’re lacking. Physically we’re definitely ready and we can compete with anybody.”
Having the county meet moved from Washington Crossing wasn’t preferred by many of the runners, including Pulimood, but it did give them a preview of the sectional course. It could benefit them next weekend.
”I was able to find spots where I could improve race-wise,” Pulimood said. “Since I was leading, I didn’t have a good idea where I was in the race. Since I’d never run there before, I didn’t have a good mental map of the place. I had a physical map, but it’s different when you’re in the moment.
”Our biggest competition races there. They race their a lot. They have their county meet there. South Brunswick is a really good contender. We have a pretty good streak going at sectionals and we’re hoping to keep that going.”
Expect Pulimood to be leading the way. Even if he doesn’t exactly like to take the lead right away, he’s more capable and driven to be there at the finish than a year ago.
”He’s in better shape now,” Wayton said. “He’s had a year of training. We developed a strength routine that we didn’t have last year. He’s matured as an athlete mentally and physically. He had a great race at counties. I don’t think he peaked physically at Shore Coaches last year. He had a good year.
”He’s extremely religious, and he has faith, more so than other kids in the past,” he added. “I think he’s going to go out there and have faith in his abilities and let it rip. Sectionals, the same thing as counties, he’ll go out there and let it happen. He’s going to go out there and lay it out there. They’re going to have to put out a heck of a race to beat him. The kid’s going to go at people.”