Tim Nickas joined the George Mason University track and field staff in August of 2019. He currently serves as assistant track and field coach and works specifically with vertical jumps, multi events and javelin.
Nickas has coached 1 NCAA All-American, 10 NCAA Championship qualifiers and 9 USTFCCCA Academic Award honorees during his tenure. At the conference level he has guided 22 A10 Champions and 55 All Conference performers.
The 2024 season was highlighted by Walter Bannerman earning second team All-America honors in his sophomore season. Walter raised his personal best from 4.71m (15’ 5 ½”) to 5.37m (17’ 7 ½”) in the 2024 season. He set two personal bests at the preliminary round of the NCAA Championships to qualify for the final round, where he registered another PB to place 15th. In addition to his success at the NCAA level Bannerman won 2 Atlantic 10 titles. Nickas also helped guide Amber Askelson (pole vault) and Geni Roberts (triple jump) to their first A10 titles. Roberts qualified for the NCAA Championships, along with his teammate Kelsey Sebwe in the triple jump and both Roberts and Sebwe were named USTFCCCA Academic Award Honorees. During the 2024 campaign Nickas’ athletes registered 16 All-Conference honors and 9 All-East honors.
During the 2023 season Nickas’ athletes exceled to new levels with 3 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 3 USTFCCCA All-Academic Award honorees and 7 Atlantic 10 Champions. His athletes accounted for 121 points during the outdoor conference championship. The women’s triple jump group finished the year ranked 10th in the country with an average distance of 12.52m (41’ 1”). During the A10 Outdoor Championship Cason Gardner set a meet and facility record in the decathlon with a score of 7393. Dhiambi Otete set a facility record in the triple jump with a mark of 12.77m (41’ 10.75”) to lead a 1-2-3 finish for George Mason. Grace Furlong and Henrike Fiedler finished 1-2 in the women’s long jump with marks of 6.02m (19’ 9”) & 5.96m (19’ 6.75”). Colton Ocetnik set a facility record of 5.02m (16’ 5.5”) in the pole vault. Freshman Micah Jones leapt to a personal best of 7.42m (24’ 4.25”) at the Raleigh Relays and was named the rookie of the year for both the indoor and outdoor A10 Championships. During the indoor season Cason Gardner won his 3rd A10 heptathlon title by setting a new personal best of 5364. George Mason’s jumpers, vaulters and multi-eventers earned 21 A10 medals during the 2023 season.
The 2022 season was highlighted by Xavier Shirley setting the A10 Indoor Conference Record in the long jump with a jump of 7.46m (24’ 5.75”). He also qualified for the NCAA Championships during the outdoor season with a jump of 7.58m (24’ 11”) and earned USTFCCCA Academic Award honors. During the A10 Outdoor Championship Nickas’ athletes placed 1st & 2nd in both the men’s and women’s pole vault and won the men’s long jump and decathlon. During this season Xavier Shirley and Autumn White earned All-East honors and 6 athletes won A10 Conference Championships. In total 11 athletes earned A10 medals.
In the shortened 2020 & 2021 seasons 3 athletes earned USTFCCCA Academic Award honors and 3 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships (Shotwell: Pole Vault 5.17m 16’ 11.5”, Stallworth: Long Jump 6.17m 20’ 3”, Rosenfeld: Javelin 46.79m 153’ 6”). Kiana Stallworth won the 2021 Outdoor ECAC Championships in the long jump, 4 athletes earned All-East honors and 5 athletes won A10 titles.
In addition to 10 national qualifiers and 22 conference champions Nickas has helped his athletes set 2 A10 Conference Records and earn 2 A10 Rookie of the Year awards. Regionally he has guided 1 ECAC Champion and 21 athletes that have earned All-East honors.
Prior to joining Mason, Nickas served as Head Track and Field Coach at Mount St. Mary's University after serving as Associate Head Cross Country, Track & Field Coach for the previous five seasons.
Nickas coached 1 NCAA All American in women’s javelin , 7 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 5 USTFCCCA Academic Award honorees and 4 Penn Relays Championship winners during his time at The Mount. 1 Athlete qualified for the USATF National Championships and 1 athlete qualified for the USATF U20 National Championships. Regionally, 10 athletes earned All-East honors with 2 of his athletes winning individual IC4A/ECAC Championships.
At the conference level, Nickas was part of the staff that won the 2018 Men’s Outdoor NEC Championship and he coached an NEC MVP, 10 NEC Champions, 25 All-NEC performers and 3 NEC Rookies of the Meet. Nickas saw 7 school records and 2 NEC records fall under his watch.
As an athlete, Nickas was part of The Mount’s storied decathlon tradition working under hall of fame coach, Jim Deegan. Nickas achieved All-East honors in the decathlon during his time competing for The Mount. Prior to coaching, he worked as a personal trainer and strength coach who focused on sport specific development for high school, collegiate and professional athletes.
Nickas graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2012 with a degree in political science and minor in philosophy. He currently resides in Fairfax, VA with his wife Danielle and their daughters, Nora, Ella, Thea, and Lena.
