Michael Nugent was a four-year two sport athlete at Catholic Central (CC). He ran Cross Country from 1977 through 1980 and Track from 1978 to 1981. In the 1979 and 1980 cross country seasons Mike, as captain, led the Shamrocks to second place finishes in the Catholic League Championship meets. In the 1981 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class A Track Championship meet, Mike placed third in the 3200-meter run with a time of 9:27.1 earning All-State Honors. He is third on the CC all-time 5K list at 15:46. Coach Magni said, “Mike was an unselfish hard working team leader who always wanted the team to do well.” Mike is grateful to Coach Tony Magni who encouraged him as a 9th grader to join the cross country and track programs. Mike Nugent, a four-year letter winner and honor roll student, was selected by his classmates as the 1981 Whalen Award Winner.
Mike moved onto Hillsdale College where he excelled. He lettered all four years in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track and in Mike’s junior and senior years he was chosen Hillsdale’s team captain. He earned individual All American Honors both seasons by becoming the National Champion in the Indoor 3-mile run in 1984 (14:08.45) and 1985 (13:58.81) at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship meets. In the 1985 outdoor season he earned All-American and Academic All-American honors. He capped of his running career at Hillsdale by being chosen for the top Senior Man Award at Hillsdale which recognizes high academic and athletic achievement. In 2007 Mike Nugent was inducted into the Hillsdale Track and Field Hall of Fame.
Mike earned his BA in English and Spanish from Hillsdale College, his MA in English from Wayne State University, and a Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principals Training Center. Mike has been in education since 1988 and joined the American School of Madrid’s (ASM) staff in 1995 as a Middle and High School English teacher. He was named the Middle School Director in 2011.
Michael Nugent is one of four brothers who graduated from CC: Tom ’78, Jim ’79 and Pat ’87. Mike and his wife, Esther, who is also in education, have two children, Sofia, and David. Both are attending university in Spain.
We know Mike lives the spirit of “Goodness Discipline and Knowledge” and are proud to induct him into the CC Athletic Hall of Fame.
