MANHATTAN, N.Y.-- Salve Regina University football quarterback coach Nikolas Iovieno '27 (Foxboro, Mass.) completed the Big Apple Triathlon on Saturday, October 10, and came in 14th place in his age group.
"It was a lot of early wakeups which required dedication," remarked Iovieno. "To wake up every morning before practice and get those workouts done—you have to have the discipline to know that it's bettering you every day. Football practices early so I'd get up at 4 a.m. to get it in."
Iovieno, who dealt with an injury during the 2025-26 year, moved into a coaching role at Salve and turned to endurance sports and triathlons as a way to set new goals that push him.
"I've always been someone who likes to have a goal in mind," remarked Iovieno. "I found triathlons and endurance sports. They really reflect the hours of work you put into them."
Big Apple Triathlon participants could sign up for the sprint or Olympic distance option. Iovieno completed the Olympic distance race, including a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run, in 02:50:25.
"Race day is a celebration of the hard work," said Iovieno. "I find joy in the process of who I become through those hours of work. A lot of people say triathlon is a lonely sport because you're always alone with your thoughts. I find joy in that and learn about myself from it."
"Gil [head football coach Kevin Gilmartin] always talks about burning the boats," continued Iovieno. "It refers to a story about an army traveling to take over an island. When they got there, the leader told the troops to burn the boats. It means there's no going back—we're here to get the job done. Going into the race that's what I was thinking."
Coaching the Seahawk quarterback group has given Iovieno a new perspective on his own training and helped him reframe what progress looks like going into the race.
"I've told our quarterbacks that it's more about the process of getting better every day," stated Iovieno. "If you have one bad practice, one bad game or one bad rep you learn from it. Over time, you want to become a better version of yourself. I've used that mindset in my training."
Iovieno balanced his schoolwork as a full-time student, coach and countless training hours as the Seahawks competed this fall, holding an impressive 4-1 record thus far. As Iovieno and the Seahawks prepare for the remainder of the season, he also has his sights on future triathlons.
"As a football coach you put so much time into watching film, going to practice, meetings and everything," said Gilmartin. "Niko has all that going on and he's a full-time college student. So what does he do in his free time? He trains for a triathlon. It's absolutely insane that somebody has the drive to do all three of those things in college. To put all of those together successfully shows you the work ethic and dedication Niko has."
