By MARK REY MONTEJO
Adamson trackster Mark Dave Nicolas, one of the country’s rising stars in track and field, died Wednesday, April 29. He was 18.
The cause of his death was not disclosed.
“The UAAP family is deeply saddened by the passing of Mark Dave Nicolas of the Adamson Boys’ Athletics Team. We extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, friends, and teammates,” the UAAP wrote on its social media post. “Rest in peace, Mark.”
Suiting up for the San Marcelino-based squad in the UAAP, Nicolas was an emerging star in the track as proven by his record-breaking performance in front of his ‘kababayans’ during the 2025 Palarong Pambansa in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
There, Nicolas, who bannered Region 1 (Ilocos), clocked in 1 minute and 53.20 seconds in the second boys’ 800-meter event to eclipse the 16-year-old record of CALABARZON’s Salvador Garin Jr.
Nicolas, a former Piddig National High School standout, also bagged two golds in the 400m and 4×400 relay, and settled for silvers in 1500m and 4×100 relay on Ilocos soil.
Apart from his Palaro feat, Nicolas also captured a silver medal in the 14th ASEAN Schools Games (ASG) in the same year. He competed as well in the Philippine Athletics Open.
Sympathy from fans and the track and field community flooded on social media following the shocking death of Nicolas.
