Winters, a native of Hilliard, Ohio, was named to the Ohio Capital Conference Buckeye Division Second Team as a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School while also being a two-time All-District selection. The two-year team captain also won the team’s Sportsmanship Award as a senior and posted his best 5-kilometer time of 16:38 at the Trinity Invitational in Louisville, Ky. In 2006, he won the Ohio Capital Conference Buckeye Division junior varsity race and also the Detroit Central Catholic Invitational Open Race as well as the Central Ohio Nazarene Youth International Game Day 5K.

"I am excited about the addition of Nate to our cross country team,” said MVNU head coach Chip Wilson. "He comes from a program with a great running tradition, and he brings a great deal of experience to our young team. He has been well coached, and I am confident that his work ethic will lead to great things at the college level.”

"Even though Nate is an outstanding runner, his classroom efforts are just as impressive,” Wilson continued. "He has proven that he is a very determined individual in every aspect of his life. I know that he will make an immediate impact on our team and our university.”

In addition to running cross country, Winters was a two-time Academic All-Ohioan and a member of National Honor Society. He is also an Eagle Scout.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU,” said Winters of his college choice. "Both of my parents attended MVNU, and I was very impressed with the number of handwritten notes that I received from Coach Wilson. I liked the small-school atmosphere that MVNU offered and it is only about an hour’s drive from my house.”

The MVNU cross country program was reborn in the fall of 2006 after not having a program since the 1979 season. After a competitive first season back, the Cougars continued to improve in 2007 by finishing sixth out of 12 teams in the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX race and tenth out of 22 at the National Christian College Athletic Association meet.