Beshere Perseverance: Vikings’ Superstar Runner Is Now Captain of His College Team

Nikolas “Nik” Beshere kept to a very dedicated training regimen all summer in preparation for his final season for the Bridgewater State University cross country team. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he trained and ran alone at Deer Island and along Revere Beach, always wearing a mask when other people were near.

A 2017 graduate of Winthrop High School where he is considered one of the greatest cross country runners in the program’s history, Beshere was set to begin his third year as a captain at Bridgewater. He was coming off a superb junior campaign at Bridgewater. He qualified for the New England Regionals for the third time. He had recorded a personal best of 26:45 over an 8-kilometer course. This fall the sky was to be the limit  for the 5-foot-6-inch senior, right up to the goal of becoming a Division 3 College All-American.

But the Bridgewater cross country team had its 2020 meet schedule canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have practice three days a week, but we have no meets,” said Beshere, who also competes for the BSU indoor and outdoor track teams. “It’s really heartbreaking to miss out on the season because this summer I really made training a top priority and worked really hard. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life so it’s really tough not to be able to compete.”

Finding his Gift to be Distance Running

Nik Beshere played some youth baseball, football, and hockey in Winthrop. His father, Robert, had been a Viking hockey standout.

It wasn’t until his sophomore year that he decided to join the cross country team.

“It’s a funny story,” he began. “Every year during the last week of July, my family, the Deeb family, and the Norris family go up to Old Orchard Beach. It was the summer going into my sophomore year and all of the cousins decided to run from the house to the pier and back. We all ran and I won the family race. My uncle, Sammy, was talking to my dad and he said, ‘You need to have to start Nik running’ – and from there, I started running.”

‘One of the Best Ever’

Warren MacPhail, Nik Beshere’s Winthrop cross country coach and running adviser, believes Beshere is a future Winthrop High Hall of Famer.

“Nick blossomed in to one of the best captains I ever had,” said MacPhail. “He mentored my son, Cormac, and then went on to become one of the greatest long distance runners to ever come out of Winthrop High School. He brought, amazing, positive energy to practice every day. I love coaching Nik.”

Winthrop Parks and Recreation Director Sean Driscoll, a friend of Nik’s father, recognized Nik’s commitment to his sports, how dedicated he was to his goals, and his contributions to the community at large.

“Being friends with Robert, I got to know Nik through his high school career and his work ethic and willingness to help out others really stood out for me,” said Driscoll.

Beshere was a two-year captain of the Winthrop High cross country team and a one-year captain of the indoor and outdoor track teams. He still holds the school record (10:45) in the two mile. He set the record for Winthrop’s Deer Island cross country course but Cormac MacPhail has since surpassed it.

 A Dean’s List Student and Advisory Committee President

Nike Beshere is majoring in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources. A Dean’s List student with a 3.2 grade point average, he is living on the college campus and taking his classes remotely.

He is the president of the MASCAC and Bridgewater State Student-Athletic Advisory Committees and a member of the NCAA National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He was the recipient of the MASCAC All-Sportsmanship Award.

He is the son of Robert Beshere and Dina Beshere. Robert played hockey for the Vikings and later at Suffolk University. Nik’s older brother, Robert Beshere, played hockey and lacrosse at the Groton School and is a graduate of Northeastern University working in the finance industry for Morgan Stanley. His sister, Gianna Beshere, is a graduate of Curry College and currently a Registered Nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His younger brother, Marco Beshere, is a freshman at the Belmont Hill School where he plays hockey and baseball.

Looking ahead, Nik is hopeful that he can resume his college running career in January and finish strong.

“My coach has a meeting next week and they’re going to determine if we’ll have a season when we come back for the second semester,” said Nik. “Hopefully we’ll have one.”

His goal remains the same: to be the best runner in the entire MASCAC. He was certainly well on his way to doing that.

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