Nathan Pestka

Position:
Distance
Class:
Redshirt Junior
Hometown:
Phoenix, Ariz.
High School:
Shadow Mountain
Prev School:
Paradise Valley CC

Awards and Honors
NJCAA Champion (Cross Country – 2024) - Paradise Valley
Academic All-Big 12 (XC: 2025)
Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (F24, S25)

Personal Records

1,000m	2:24.56	2026 Indoor
1,500m	3:44.29	2026 Outdoor
Mile	4:00.78	2026 Indoor
3,000m	8:24.69	2026 Indoor
5,000m	15:15.57	2023 Outdoor

2025-26
Outdoor: Took fifth at the Badger Challenge with a 1,500m PR of 3:44.29 … placed sixth at Drake Relays with a 1,500m time of 3:47.44 … also part of the silver-medalist 4x1,600m at Drake … ran the 1,500m at the Bryan Clay Invite and the 800m at the Jim Duncan Invite.
Indoor: Placed 13th in the mile (4:07.59) and 27th in the 3,000m (8:24.69) at Big 12 Championships … nearly broke four in the mile clocking a PR of 4:00.78 at the Valentine Invite … hit a 1,000m PR of 2:24.56 in the 1,000m for third at the Iowa State Classic … also competed in the 1,000m and mile at the DeLoss Dodds Invite, Cyclone Open, Bill Bergan Classic and ISU Holiday Invite.

2024-25
Outdoor: Ran the 1,500m at Big 12 Championships, taking 23rd in 3:51.94 ... placed first in his 1,500m section at the Cyclone Twilight with 3:47.86 ... clocked a PR of 3:47.53 for sixth at the Jim Duncan Invite in his first race as a Cyclone ... also ran at Bryan Clay (3:48.23) and Drake Relays (3:49.34).
Indoor: Competed unattached ... won the Iowa State Classic in 2:25.22, also ran the mile (4:18.36) ... placed fifth in the mile at the ISU Holiday Invite in 4:12.57 ... clocked 2:24.87 in the 1K for fifth at the Bill Bergan Invite ... ran the 800m at the Cyclone Open.
XC: Squad member... ran unattached at the Cyclone Preview, finishing the 6K in 19:28.0.

2023-24 (Paradise Valley)
Indoor: Finished eighth in the 3,000m with a personal best of 8:32.54 at the Arkansas Qualifier … ran a mile best of 4:12.46 at the Iowa State Classic ... won the 1,000m in a PR of 2:30.80 and took third in the 3,000m at the PVC Indoor meet ... won the 1,000m and the mile at the Puma Indoor meet ... took first in the 800m and ran the 1,600m leg of the DMR at the Gaucho Indoor meet.
XC: NJCAA champion with an 8K time of 24:49.1 … placed fourth at regionals and third at conference … also ran at the Drews/Neubauer and UCR Invite.

2022-23 (Paradise Valley)
Outdoor: Finished 12th in the 1,500m, 23rd in the 5,000m and seventh in the 4x800m at nationals … placed fifth in the 800m, sixth in the 1,500m and second in the 4x800m at regionals … won the 5,000m with a best time of 15:15.57 at ACCAC Championships … hit a 1,500m PR of 3:52.26 at the Bryan Clay Invite … also ran at the GCU Invite, Canyon Invite and Cody McBride meet.
Indoor: Ran the 1,200m leg for the fourth-place distance medley relay and placed 19th in the mile at NJCAA Championships … also ran at the Arkansas Qualifier, ISU Classic, PVCC Indoor and Puma Indoor meet.
XC: Took 11th at NJCAA Championships … finished third at regionals … also ran at the Mesa College Jamboree and Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invite.

High School:

Won three state titles at the 2022 Arizona state championships in the 1,600m, 3,200m and 4x800m relay...ran a personal best of 4:17.17 to take the AIA state title as well as anchoring Shadow Mountain's 4x800m relay, running a Division III state meet record of 7:54.01... ran his season best over 3200m with a statement win at the Nike Chandler Rotary Elite Invite in 9:06.40... also grabbed a third place finish in the 800m at state in 1:57.91... also competed at the Arcadia Invitational, Northeast Valley Championships and the Ron Smith Classic... in cross country finished third at the Division III Arizona state championships... also took wins at the NXR Southwest Championships(medium school) and the Paradise Valley District XC Championships.

Personal:

Majoring in journalism and communications. His father, Gregg Pestka, was his coach at Shadow Mountain High School. Has two younger siblings, Austin and Colton.