by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Nick Arguelles was a couple days away from making his debut as a UNM cross country runner.
Out for a bike ride on Sept. 7, the freshman runner slammed into a car, an accident that he thought would end his season.
"I got pretty banged up," Arguelles said. "The way I felt right away, I thought I was going to be done for at least the whole
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season."
Coming out of Highland High School, Arguelles was one of the most talented prospects to come to UNM in years. He won the state championship in the 800-meter run in his senior season and was the 1,600-meter champion his junior year. He also set several school records.
UNM head coach Matt Henry said Arguelles had the potential to be one of the best runners he's had in his tenure.
But just two days before the season-opening Lobo Invitational, the accident happened.
"I had some bruised ribs and some really bad road rash, and I had a concussion," he said. "For a good week, I was messed up."
Although he feared he would miss his first collegiate cross country season, Arguelles began recovering quickly.
Within a few weeks, he was running again.
"My body rebounded really well, and I'm getting in the flow of things now," Arguelles said.
Arguelles healed fast enough to compete at last weekend's NCAA Prenationals meet in Terre Haute, Ind. Despite not being at full strength, Arguelles was the Lobos' fourth runner, finishing the 6,000-meter course in 25:43.
Even with the setback from the accident, Arguelles has already started to achieve one of his preseason goals: to be one of the top-five runners at UNM this season.
Henry said he's not surprised with the way Arguelles bounced back.
"I truthfully believe that he can probably be a really, really good runner," Henry said. "One of the best we've had."
Arguelles is not quite back at full strength, but he's getting close and wants to help the team as the season comes to an end, he said.
"I feel about 90 percent," he said. "I feel like with every week, I get stronger. It's only a matter of time before I can start getting to my full potential as a freshman."
Although the accident forced Arguelles to miss the first part of the season, he's learned a lot from the experience.
"Definitely now you realize, you're riding your bike down the street and anything can change in the snap of your fingers," Arguelles said. "You definitely respect your body a lot more. I'm a lot more careful with what I do."
Arguelles said he's been a much more passionate runner since the accident. He said he has been doing everything possible to get back to full strength.
"I'm definitely more focused and ready to go," he said. "I'm working out harder. If I'm not running, I'm in the weight room or in the pool, always trying to make my body better."
Arguelles said Prenationals did a lot for his confidence, especially since it was such a big meet.
"I was really impressed with myself," he said. "It was a really tough experience. Everyone there was so fast. You're running with a sea of people, and you couldn't even hear yourself breathe it was so loud. It was crazy."
If Arguelles can stay healthy, he should have a great year in cross country and track, Henry said.
"We're really fortunate that he stayed home," Henry said. "I'm glad this is a place that he can continue his education as well as run. We've really got a good one in Nick Arguelles."
