Running toward opportunity: Nick Abdalla finds a home – and his stride – at UNK
KEARNEY – His legal name is Nagmeldin Abdalla.
In Arabic, it means “star of the faith.”
Around the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus, though, everybody knows him as Nick – a star on the Loper track and cross country teams.
“When I first came to the United States in sixth grade, one of my teachers started calling me Nick because the other students couldn’t pronounce my name right,” he explained. “I think she just wanted to make it easier for everyone.”
That change symbolized a much larger transformation – one that’s taken him across continents, thousands of miles away from members of his family, to a new home in the middle of the Heartland.
Better opportunities
Abdalla’s story began in Sudan, where his family made a living farming before civil conflict and limited opportunities pushed them to seek a new life.
“We came to the U.S. for better opportunities, better schools, better jobs,” he said. “Back home, you can’t get everything you want.”
His father was the first to immigrate to America, part of a yearslong process that included significant time spent in the capital city of Khartoum before Abdalla and an older sister were able to join him in Omaha. Their brother followed later.
The rest of Abdalla’s family, including his grandmother, mother and other siblings, remains in Africa, where an ongoing civil war in Sudan forced them to flee to a refugee camp in neighboring Chad.
“I haven’t seen my mom in about 13 years,” Abdalla said softly. “We talk almost every week, but when the war started in 2023, I lost contact for a while. I didn’t know where they were at or whether they were safe. That was really hard. Now that I’ll be graduating soon, I’m hoping to go see them this summer.”
His family’s strength and sacrifices fuel every step he takes.
“My parents really motivate me. I’m always thinking about them.”
Two passions
Although he’s a standout runner now, soccer has always been his first love.
When he arrived in South Omaha, Abdalla joined a team through The Simple Foundation, an organization that supports refugee, immigrant and migrant youths.
He’s a big fan of Liverpool FC from the Premier League and La Liga member FC Barcelona – “the best soccer club in the world” – but doesn’t get to play much these days.
“My coach won’t let me touch the ball at all,” he said with a laugh. “I get it. There are so many injuries in soccer. Maybe after I graduate I can go play Sunday leagues or something like that.”
Until then, he’ll have to settle for starring in a sport he discovered almost by accident. At Bryan Middle School, his physical education teacher – who doubled as the cross country coach – urged him to join the team.
“I didn’t even know what cross country was,” Abdalla said with a smile. “It didn’t sound interesting at all, but one of my soccer teammates was also on the team, so I decided to give it a try. It turns out I was actually pretty good.”
That decision set him on a new path. To this day, Abdalla credits coach Shawn Exner for sparking his passion for distance running: “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be running right now.”
Abdalla started his high school career at Omaha Bryan, competing for coach Charlie Cuddy, and finished 18th in Class A at the NSAA State Cross Country Championships as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore. He was also a state qualifier in the 3,200-meter run during the spring track season in 2018.
After Cuddy left Bryan for another opportunity, Abdalla decided to transfer to Omaha South for his junior and senior years. However, because of the timing, he wasn’t eligible to compete in varsity events during the 2019 cross country season.
“I took the risk of transferring, knowing I would have to sit out for 90 days, then I could run on the varsity team the next year,” he explained.
But that never happened.
The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the spring track season in 2020, and Omaha Public Schools didn’t compete in any fall sports later that year.
“After that, I lost my motivation,” Abdalla admitted. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run again.”
He capped his high school career with a Class A state soccer championship and seriously considered playing that sport in college.
UNK head track and cross country coach Brady Bonsall had other ideas.
Even though Abdalla hadn’t competed much over the past two years, “Everyone knew he was really good,” Bonsall said. He proved that at a Nike regional event in November 2019, finishing the 5,000-meter race with the second-best time among Nebraska runners.
Bonsall encouraged Abdalla to check out UNK – and he didn’t visit any other schools.
“I put all my trust in him,” Abdalla said. “He’s a really good coach. All the people who come here, they keep getting better and better.”
Loper leader
Bonsall describes Abdalla as a quiet leader, someone who lets his actions set the expectations.
“He doesn’t speak often, but when he does, people listen,” Bonsall said.
“I’ve seen him mature a lot during his time here and develop a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful,” he added. “He’s really grown a love for UNK and our campus community, and he’s very committed to being both a great athlete and a leader within groups outside our team.”
Abdalla has earned All-MIAA honors in back-to-back cross country seasons, finishing seventh at the conference meet in 2023 and 20th last year. He was 13th in a field of 199 runners at the 2023 NCAA Central Regional meet – earning All-Region honors – and 35th at the same event last year. He led the Lopers to a 25th-place team performance during the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships in Sacramento, California.
This season, Abdalla paced the UNK men at both the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln and Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the Lopers beat several Division I programs. Abdalla finished 21st and 14th individually, posting times of 25 minutes, 10 seconds and 24 minutes, 17 seconds on the 8-kilometer courses. He was fourth among non-Division I runners in Arkansas.
The UNK senior also ranks third in program history in the steeplechase (8:57.18) and sixth in the indoor 5,000-meter run (14:29.42). He finished 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last spring’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado.
Abdalla attributes his success to staying healthy, trusting the process and believing in his coach.
“In cross country, you’re not going to get really good in a short amount of time,” he said. “You just have to believe in yourself and believe in the process. If I put in the work, it’s going to pay off.”
With the MIAA Championships less than 10 days away, Abdalla has his sights set on a top-three team performance at the conference meet and another trip to the DII national championships set for Nov. 22 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Last year we used the term win ugly. And this year the term is win uglier,” he said with a smile.
Giving back
A recipient of the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation Scholarship, Abdalla is studying aviation systems management – a dream profession since his first flight more than a decade ago.
“When I first got on a plane to come to the U.S., I thought, ‘Wow, this is cool. I want to do this one day,’” he said. “That’s been my passion ever since.”
He plans to graduate in summer 2026 and pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.
“I don’t think any of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the Thompson Scholarship,” he said. “That has helped me so much. I’m really grateful to have that assistance.”
Along with the financial assistance, Abdalla received academic and personal support through the Thompson Scholars Learning Community, something he’s equally thankful for.
Jen Harvey, senior director of the Thompson Scholars program, calls him “joy personified.”
“Nick has a positive outlook on life, cares about others and embraces opportunities,” Harvey said. “He’s mature beyond his years and has been a positive leader in our community. As an educator, I have learned a lot from him, and I aspire to see people and the world as he does.”
“I often say to students, ‘leave it better than you found it,’ and I know Nick will have that effect on the world,” she added.
Demonstrating his “servant’s heart,” Abdalla is also active in the African Student Union, Upsilon Eta Upsilon Honor Society for Black Excellence and Omega Psi Phi fraternity – organizations that focus on community service and cultural representation. He mentors young athletes back in Omaha, too.
“I love giving back to my community, just like how people helped me throughout my life,” he said. “That’s what motivates me.”
After a long journey to get here, Abdalla is grateful for the support system that’s guided him through college.
“We always say we’re proud to be a Loper – that means a lot to me,” he said. “The community here always wants to help. The coaches, my teammates and the Thompson Scholars staff have made me feel welcome and made this feel like my home.”