NUTLEY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Photo Courtesy of Tiffany Miruelo

Tiffany Miruelo
NHS junior, Indoor Track and Field

What got you interested in competing in track and field?
My interest in track and field started when I was in middle school going into high school. In the eighth grade, I began playing soccer and continued it for about a year and a half, which then made me realize that I enjoyed running. I never thought about doing it in high school until my friends told me that track is a sport that we can all do. I joined it not knowing anything about the sport and doing it for fun, until I noticed that I had the potential to continue it for the rest of high school, where I learned to really love the sport.

Any favorite memories of your track and field career so far?
My favorite memories of track and field are the bus rides to and from the meets, and the social aspect of the meets and practices. I enjoy coming to practices because I get to see my friends and the other people who run with me, and we all talk and have a good time together. During the meets, all of the people competing get to bond together by going through the same prerace jitters, and we all like to cheer on anyone who is racing at the moment. The bus rides are especially fun because we get to play music and talk about our races and much more.

Do you have any rituals that you have before competing in a meet?
The day before a meet, I like to eat healthy and drink a lot of water so I can be hydrated for the race. The night before, I like to sleep early and get enough sleep so I can be energized and run my best, as well as stretch and roll out for about 15 minutes, so I won’t be tense or sore while I’m racing.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?
My goals for the rest of the winter season is to break 12:20 for my 2-mile race indoors. However, for the outdoor season, I wish to run in the 5:20s and 2:20s for the 1600 and the 800.

Who are your role models?
My role models for track and/or anything that I do are my parents. Even though my mom and dad may not know much about track and field, they still motivate me to do things that they know I should do to become better. They also cheer me on and wish me luck in every race that I have.

Are you involved in any other extracurricular activities or hobbies?
Some other activities that I do other than track are cross country in the fall, and I help out with rec track in the spring. I also like to spend time with my friends and family by going to different places, and I like to play soccer for fun.

What kind of music do you listen to? Any favorite musical artists?
I usually listen to pop or rap music, or any popular songs that come up on the radio. One of my favorite singers/rappers is PnB Rock.

If you had a dream vacation, where would it be?
If I got to choose a dream vacation, I would go to Australia. I would go to Australia because I feel that not a lot of people visit there since it is completely across the world, and Australia has always been a dream vacation for me since I was in elementary school. I would like to see the different animals and would want to go on adventures and visit different tourist places.

“Tiffany has been a distance ace for us since her freshman year.  That 
year in the outdoor season, she finished second in the SEC Championship 1,600 meters with a 5:51, and has had nothing but success since then. This past fall in her first season running cross-country, she earned First Team All SEC-American and All-County Honors and ran some of the fastest times in NHS History on The Branch Brook course, Brookdale and set our school record at Greystone. She is a valuable asset to have in our program.  Not only is she a  huge success on the track and trails, she is an all-star in the 
classroom with a 3.95 GPA. She is the ultimate role model for our 
younger crew of runners.  Tiffany always leads by example in practice and at meets.”

— NHS head coach Gerry Ryan