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Julene Nickoloff

Nickoloff juggles sports and music

By Michael Heben

It seems as if some athletes have always been interested in music. Who could forget NBA star Shaquille O’Neal’s horr-ible attempt at becoming a rapper?

You don’t have to look far, though, to find an athlete who is actually a quality musician. Cleve-land State’s Julene Nick-oloff is just that.

Nickoloff, a sophomore cross country runner and music major from Verm-illion, excels at both running and playing the oboe.

Attending CSU on scholarships for both athletics and music is no easy task. Nickoloff has a very busy and hectic schedule, which she says leaves her very little time to socialize.

On a typical weekday Nickoloff is either in class, running, practicing her oboe, or studying from 6 a.m. until around 10:30 p.m., she says. The week-ends aren’t any easier, since she is either part-icipating in a Cross Country meet or playing in a concert, she added.

When asked the question why not choose one or the other, she says, “I love both running and being a musician too much to choose.”

Nickoloff said that her cross country coach, Shawna Evans, as well as the music department have been extremely understanding of her busy schedule and have been very flexible with her time.

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