Nikki Hiltz Coach

Nikki Hiltz, born on October 23, 1994, is a professional American middle-distance runner, specializing in the 1500 meters and mile. Hiltz holds the American mile record and won the 2023 US 1500 meters title. They also secured a silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.

Hiltz competed collegiately for the Oregon Ducks and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Openly lesbian, they came out as transgender and nonbinary on International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2021. Hiltz is sponsored by Lululemon.

Nikki Hiltz Coach

Nikki Hiltz is currently coached by Mike Smith, who is known for his work with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Since August 2016, Mike Smith has been working as the Director of Cross Country and Track & Field at Northern Arizona University. Smith's tenure has been marked by significant achievements, including leading the Lumberjack cross country and track & field programs to numerous championships. Under his guidance, the teams have consistently performed at a high level, with the men’s cross country team winning the NCAA National Championship five times and the women’s team securing the title once.

In cross country, Smith has achieved notable success with both the men’s and women’s teams. The 2023 season saw the Lumberjacks achieve their best-ever performance, with both teams finishing second at the NCAA National Championships. This achievement was highlighted by both teams being ranked first in the nation simultaneously for the first time in school history. Individual accolades included Gracelyn Larkin being named the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women’s Athlete of the Year and multiple All-American honors for team members.

Smith's impact extends beyond individual championships to consistent team successes. In 2022, the men’s team completed a second three-peat of NCAA National Championship titles, and the women’s team achieved their highest national ranking at that time. The 2021 season also saw both teams sweeping the Big Sky Championships and the men’s team winning the national title.

On the track, Smith has guided his athletes to impressive performances, with notable achievements in both indoor and outdoor seasons. The 2024 outdoor season was particularly strong, with Nico Young breaking records in the 10K and Colin Sahlman setting new standards in the 1,500-meter and 800-meter events. The team continued to break records and win titles, including a historic indoor season where numerous school and conference records fell.

Nikki Hiltz’s Previous Coach

Nikki Hiltz's previous coach before Mike Smith was Mac Fleet.

Mac Fleet is a former collegiate distance runner who competed for the University of Oregon. He specialized in the 1,500 meters and mile and was a notable runner during his time with the Ducks. Fleet won the NCAA 1,500-meter title in both 2013 and 2014 and was a seven-time All-American. He also set several school records and achieved personal bests in multiple events, including a 3:38.35 in the 1,500 meters and a 3:57.70 mile indoors. Fleet had a standout career in both indoor and outdoor track and field, as well as in cross country.