In the Nic of time

Nic Duysen, East Mills incoming senior, transitions from the diamond to the field to the court to the track and golf course and back to the diamond with such ease that he makes being a five-sport standout look easy. He lifts weights year-round, also.
“I like to be busy and stay active,” Duysen said. “You meet different people and build friendships in the different sports, and that is beneficial.”
It also played a big part in him overcoming his shyness.
“I was pretty shy when I was little,” Nic admitted. “I was fine in practice, but I didn’t want to go out on the field during games until third or fourth grade.”
Nic is the youngest of five children of Jon and Wendy Duysen, and sports have always been a part of his life. His mother and sisters excelled in volleyball, and his father and brothers were recognized in football and baseball. Both brothers played football in college, and Nic hopes to do the same. In fact, his brother Daniel has school records and state records that Nic would like to break.
“My dad and brothers are great motivators, but I compete more with Dan,” Nic admitted. “I’ve broken some of his school  records and I would like to break more. And Dan finally admitted he wants me to break his records. He’s been motivating me.”
Dan has been the state’s all-time leader since 2012 with 55 TD receptions. He is in the top three in total receiving yards (2,775) and the top six in total receptions (151), as well as holds the state record for fumble recoveries (18).
Nic totaled 79.5 tackles last year, including 46 solo to lead the Wolverines.
“It’s kind of a running joke that I steal tackles from everyone else,” he said.
He also ended the season with 15 solo tackles for loss and six assisted tackles for loss, and two solo sacks.
He made 56 catches for 832 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Nic’s junior year consisted of finishing with a batting average of .476 and an ERA of 3.17 in baseball; ending fourth in the conference in the 200m and third in the 400m hurdles in track; and scoring 129 points while passing around 41 assists, grabbing 187 rebounds, 39 steals, and blocking seven shots in basketball.
Nic talked about the upperclassmen from his eighth grade and freshmen years and how much of an impact they made on him and his friend Michael Schafer, especially that baseball season of his upcoming freshman year.
“That group of guys that we played with made it so much fun,” Nic said. “I want to lead the younger kids as well as they led me.
“Coach Langenfield has also been a role model I look up to. He coaches football, wrestling, and track.”
The all-district and all-conference baseball and football honoree has a tough time deciding which sport is his favorite, but has it narrowed down between football and baseball.
“It’s hard to pick between them, but there’s just a certain feeling you get when you are out there under the lights,” Nic said. “It’s different than any other sport or activity.”
This year’s football season will be cut a bit short due to the rearrangement of 8-man, district 7. The Essex football players will join the Stanton Vikings, and Clarinda Academy cancelled its football season.
“I’m disappointed that my senior season of football will be cut short with the cancellations of the last two weeks of the season for us,” Nic said. “Obviously, I want to play as many games as I can.”
With five years of varsity playing time in four to five sports each year, Nic has an arsenal of memories from which to choose a highlight.
“I’ve got a few of them, not a significant one, but last year when we beat Sidney in football, kind of upset them, that’s probably the biggest highlight for me,” Nic said. “Beating Stanton in basketball last year in districts, that was another one.”
He started varsity baseball as an eighth grader and had to step up his sophomore year in football due to graduated seniors.
“I don’t really think of myself as a good basketball player; I’m just a good team player and will do what I can for the team,” Nic said. “And in track I think I did okay last year.
“All sports are beneficial in different ways, different coaches and all of that,” Nic said. “You learn in different ways based on the different coaching styles. That’s beneficial for everyone, I think.”
Nic has made many friends through all the sports throughout his high school career. He is a member of the United Iowa Select basketball team, which plays on the Prep Hoops circuit. The team consists of players from Treynor, Essex, Stanton, and Fremont-Mills.
“My last shot in my AAU basketball career was an air ball,” Nic said. “But I just laughed it off. I don’t really get embarrassed  easily. I just roll with it. We played in Minneapolis on the Prep Hoops circuit, and there were D1 athletes there. We were down by 15 to 20 points, but my teammates (Tyler Peterson, Easton Hultman, Keygan Day, and Michael Schafer) just make it fun. We all laughed about it.”
Playing with area athletes on the AAU team brings about a friendship that can be seen when the school year starts and the boys are now competing against each other.
“I like to beat my Stanton friends because then I earn bragging rights. I always like to beat the Fremont-Mills and Sidney kids, too.”
Nic is excited about the upcoming year and entering his final season of high school athletics.
“Michael Schafer and I have put in a lot of time, and we’ve been waiting for this moment. The senior classes ahead of us have always had standout athletes, and we’ve been like their sidekicks. This year we are teaching the younger kids and leading them. Michael and I are always pushing each other. There are a few things that one of us is better at, not that either one of us would admit it, but it motivates each other. We are ready to be the leaders.”
When Nic is not playing a sport or lifting weights, he enjoys hunting with his dad. He also loves biology and being outside.
“I love animals, bugs, plants; I just love being outside.”
The Duysen family is full of athletic talent on all the courts, fields, and courses, and Nic is following in some impressive footprints. He does not know what the future holds for him, but he is ready to sprint full steam ahead into wherever it takes him.
His humbleness and relaxed personality are contagious, and he makes friends easily. But once he gets on the field or court, it’s game on.
“I am competitive and focused during games,” Nic said. “We have great team chemistry and we communicate. That’s key to being a member of any team.”