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HOKA Signs NIL Deals with Three Cross Country Champions

Running shoe brand announces partnerships with a trio of Colorado student-athletes

Nick Messineo

HOKA Signs NIL Deals with Three Cross Country Champions
HOKA Signs NIL Deals with Three Cross Country Champions /

As the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego prepared to kick off over the weekend, HOKA, the event's primary sponsor, announced NIL deals with three previous champions.

Natalie Cook, Kole Mathison, and Karrie Baloga – athletes at the University of Colorado this fall – are the first collegiate track and field/cross country runners to sign NIL deals with the running shoe brand.

All three athletes won the Foot Locker Championships in San Diego while they were in high school. Cook won the event in 2021 when it was called the Eastbay Nationals, becoming the first high school girl from Texas to win. Mathison and Baloga won in 2022 when it was called the Champs Sports XC Nationals. 

Each student-athlete posted an announcement of the partnership on their Instagram accounts.

Cook, a sophomore at Colorado, transferred from Oklahoma State University after her impressive freshman year where she placed seventh at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. As a high schooler, she was undefeated her senior year on the cross country course.

Mathison had a breakthrough year as a senior in high school, where he was named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. He is currently a freshman at the University of Colorado. 

Baloga was dominant in high school winning the NYSPHSAA State Championship, NY Federation Championship, and later helping Team USA win bronze at the World U20 Championships in Bathurst, Australia. She was on the Colorado cross country team this year where she placed 8th at the Pac-12 XC Championships and 82nd in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Despite signs of early success at Colorado, Baloga recently entered the transfer portal. 

The three athletes were in San Diego to attend the Foot Locker Championships on Saturday. 

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Nick Messineo
NICK MESSINEO

Nick Messineo graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a minor in Political Science. Following his undergraduate studies, Nick went on to achieve his Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 2023, graduating cum laude. He served as a Notes Editor on the Michigan State Law Review. During his time in school, Nick held jobs in student-athlete academic services at WVU and MSU, ensuring that student-athletes received the assistance they needed to excel in the classroom. He also worked as a compliance intern at the University of Louisville's Office of Athletic Compliance during the summer between his second and third year of law school. If you have any questions or comments, he can be reached via email at nmessineo01@gmail.com.

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