Nicholas Scrocco, Coastal Christian running programs continue ascension with state title

Jackson Fuller
Wilmington StarNews
Nicholas Scrocco makes a move during his victory at the NCISAA 3A State Championships on Nov. 2.

Nicholas Scrocco has seen first-hand the evolution of the Coastal Christian running programs. 

He's now a part of the Centurions' legacy. 

Scrocco finished off a dream cross country career on Nov. 2, winning the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 3A state championship with a time of 16 minutes, 46.50 seconds. The senior topped Cary Christian's Brock Vanek by two seconds to claim the title. 

Since Scrocco's freshman season, Coastal Christian has now won two team track and field state titles, and back-to-back individual cross country championships. Isaiah Arnold, who is now at Ashley, won the title in 2019. 

"It's honestly been really cool to see," Scrocco said. "To see the difference in the program from four years ago to now, it's something I'm proud of. The culture has come a long way and we've got a lot of talent now."

Scrocco leans on the data to put Coastal Christian's ascension as a powerhouse running program into perspective. 

As a freshman, Scrocco was the third-fastest runner on the team with a time around 18:50. This year, that time would not have put Scrocco into the Centurions' top 10. 

A state championship was Scrocco's goal coming into the season, but he needed an upset in the state championship. He came into the race ranked 15 seconds behind the favorite, so his goal was to stay close at the beginning and make his move as the race wore on. 

"Fortunately, everyone went out a little slower and I was able to stay right there. I saw a chance with 800 (meters) to go, and I just took it," he said. 

"I guess if I'm honest with myself, I was a little surprised. Going in, I was going to stay positive no matter what and just understand I didn't run as fast as I did last year. I just went for it."

Despite a state title, Scrocco called this the most difficult season of his high school career because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He was only able to run five races during the regular season, and it was hard to build confidence with such a shortened schedule. 

Scrocco's future is still undetermined. He plans on running in college, but like most things during the COVID-19 pandemic, his recruitment process has been severely altered. 

He hopes to lock in a future home this spring with more times in the track and field season, when Coastal Christian tries to win a third-consecutstate championship, and Scrocco aims to further solidify his legacy with the Centurions. 
