Fegans Sisters: A Family of Runners

THE FLATS – For Erin and Nicole Fegans running and competing has always been a family affair. Whether it is out on the course, at home playing games on the Wii or learning to ski, the sisters have been interwoven in their competitive endeavors.

Nicole, the older sister by about three years, has been setting record wherever she goes. In middle school, she set the record for the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter. Three years later, Erin broke her sister’s 3200-meter school record.

“Seeing all of the achievements Nicole has been able to obtain makes me have a goal to reach. She’s been able to get this. If I just use her as motivation, I’ll be capable of doing it in years to come,” Erin said of her older sister Nicole.

Their genesis of their running journey was family outings. The Fegans sisters would do a mile or 5k runs on the weekend for fun. Their dad would be running with them at the events and their mom would be the emotional support they needed.

“My mom would always be there. She’s so supportive and always there for a hug,” Nicole said of her mom. “Even if something didn’t go well she was our biggest supporter.”

Nicole continued into running during her first year of middle school where she joined the Roadrunners Club. In seventh grade, she joined her middle school team and realized she could be good at the sport.

It was about this time, when Erin was in fourth grade that she made the transition from cheerleading to running. She decided to make this transition after seeing all the fun Nicole was having on the course. Their dad joined Erin on races where Nicole was running.

Their dad has a long history of running himself. He was offered a scholarship to Georgia but turned it down. He became a fitness coordinator for the Navy and has since completed five Ironman Triathlons and many marathons. He always knew that if he could do it over again he would try to run collegiately.

He stayed close by Erin’s side to give her the running bug. Meanwhile, in Nicole’s eighth grade year, Erin was able to witness Nicole setting school records. The very same records Erin would break in her eighth grade year.

The following year was Nicole’s senior year at Landmark Christian School. She set the records for the 1600-meter, 3200-meter and 5k with Erin watching as a precocious freshman. Erin knew that once Nicole moved on to college, it was her turn to set new records. Despite battling injuries, Erin came within seconds of taking Nicole’s high school record in the 3200-meter. Erin was doing this while Nicole was running wild on The Flats.

During the 2020 Indoor Track and Field season, Nicole set Georgia Tech records in the mile and 3000-meter. She was setting the stage for the following season when Erin would join her on The Flats.

“It’s something special to be with her,” Erin said of joining Nicole. “Getting to be a part of the team and actually doing it with her is a whole different experience. You’re getting to go through the experience of training and seeing what each other are doing. We get to go through the tough meets and reach PRs together.”

“It’s super fun!” Nicole chimed in.

With her sister by her side, Nicole helped guide the 2020 women’s cross country team to second in the ACC and 20^th in the nation. In the 2021 Indoor Track and Field season, she improved her mile record and set the record at Tech for the 5k. In the 2021 Outdoor Track and Field season, Nicole set the school records in the 1500-meter, 5k and 10k. Her 5k and 10k records were well ahead of second place and the 10k record was the time that captured her the 2021 ACC title. Erin watched all of this, knowing her time was soon to come.

This season is Nicole’s final season on The Flats. History shows us she will continue to improve her time and Erin will be waiting for her chance, training with her sister and eventually taking her records. Most importantly, it is about sharing these moments as sisters.

“I know no matter what we will always be supporting each other. My parents and I were always the loudest people screaming for each other. We always made sure she knew we were there supporting her,” Nicole said.