Florida all-stater Nicole Matysik was in Key West when hurricane came through

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Nicole Matysik's phone started ringing non-stop on Thursday, her first day with cell service in close to a week. 

The outpouring of messages and calls came from concerned friends and relatives who have been trying to reach and ask if she is safe. Matysik is a junior all-state cross country runner at Key West High in Florida. 2016 INTERVIEW

Her family made the decision to stay in Key West and take its chances with Hurricane Irma, which tore through the Florida Keys after leaving a patch of destruction throughout the Caribbean Islands.

“Well, we were worried about getting stranded (someplace else),” Matysik said matter-of-factly, as to why her family chose to stay home rather than evacuate.

Key West is the last stop on the 120-mile string of islands that make up the Florida Keys. At the southernmost point, it's 90 miles from Cuba. It's a a popular tropical paradise renowned for its beautiful views, fishing, boating and partying.

This week, Key West has been a broken ghost town. Many residents heeded the evacuation calls ahead of the storm and have so far been unable to get back. 

According to a report in the Miami Herald newspaper Friday: “Residents of the Florida Keys may be allowed in as far as Marathon by Saturday and at the latest by Sunday, Monroe County leaders said Friday, urging patience as they described in greater detail than ever before some of the widespread, systemic damage caused by Hurricane Irma.”

Power was restored on Friday, Matysik said.

Her family left the house last weekend to seek shelter in a safer, stronger structure. On Saturday and Sunday as the storm ripped through their community, Matysik and her family stayed at Harbour Place, a hotel.

“We were constantly monitoring the storm's path,” Matysik said. “It was a little nerve-racking waiting to see if it would hit us or miss us. Once the power went out, it was a little scary, but we were all together so that helped.”

Matysik and her family were able to go back to their home Monday. The hurricane's winds caused significant damage up and down the street. 

“If you walk through our neighborhood, our house is perfectly fine, but then you walk a few houses down, and a really big tree with really strong roots is ripped out,” Matysik said. “And, like, the asphalt is completely torn up –  it's crazy.”

But just like Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the traumatic, life-changing event has brought out the best in individuals.

“The whole community has come together,” Matysik said. “There's food stations, our neighbors are sharing their generators, so that's really nice.”

The last day of school for students at Key West High was Sept. 6. Classes have been cancelled and the cross country team saw its first two meets cancelled. The school's third meet, scheduled for next week, could be called off as well.

“I did my long run yesterday and I couldn't even do the trail I usually do,” Matysik said. “I had to detour all the trees and leaves on the ground.”

Matysik said she was able to get in her run last Saturday morning and took her rest day Sunday while in the hotel. Her training schedule, which her coach Terence White wrote up beforehand, hasn't really been disrupted. The only disappointing part is the lack of competing.

Matysik was sixth in the Class 2A state meet last year and ran 10:35.59 to place second in the 3,200 meters at the state track finals behind Caitlin Collier of The Bolles School.

“It is frustrating. I really wanted to race. I feel like I'm in good shape,” Matysik said. “I'm just trying to stay positive. This definitely makes me hungrier than ever to race. My coach assured me that I'll be ready for when it counts.”

Matysik has eyes on a trip to the Foot Locker South Regional in November. She was 99th there last year as a sophomore.

Her Key West teammates are currently strewn across the U.S. and waiting for the chance to return home.

Matysik said her coach is in Orlando. One teammate is in Tallahassee, another is in Oklahoma and another is in Alabama. But that distance doesn't matter.

“It's going to bring us closer,” she said of the hurricane ordeal. “All of us are still training and keeping in touch. We will have a bigger bond.”