Nic Tautiva is 2010 Elite Amateur Winner at St. Anthony's

It was 2 years in the making, to the day. I started working with Nic exactly 2 years ago. So it was a nice anniversary present for both of us when he emerged from the choppy, current filled, waters of Tampa Bay in 2nd place, then hang with the top 4 guys on the bike, then overtake the lead on the run by mile 2, then surge and leave 2nd place and reach the finish as the youngest amateur competitor to ever win St. Anthony's by 6 years.
Jerry McNeil the race announcer asked me in the wee early hours of the morning before the race started where my athletes might place in the elite amateur competition. I wasn't prepared to answer the question. Although certainly it was a topic of conversation this year between Nic and me because he needed top 3 for his pro card. But we were not necessarily looking for it at this early season race.
So my honest, unprepared answer was top 5, top 10. 5th make, 10th female.
I was very happy to see Nic hang with the front runners on the bike because I knew he could hold his own on the run, assuming he raced his own race. Nic is still maturing for the 10K distance as was witnessed in his 2 open 10Ks over the winter. Fortunately for him, that maturity process took a large step at the right time as his 10K split was only 10 secs off his open 10K PR (1.5 months ago).
This may sound cliche but his victory was a product of a lot of hard work, dedication, determination, methodical training, timed recovery and smart racing.
When I saw Nic round the corner at 4.5 miles on the run in the lead...it was an emotional moment for me. Over the years Nic and I have worked very closely together. He has become more than just my athlete, he has become a great friend.