June 10, 2017
RESULTS | All-Americans List
EUGENE, Ore. - Bringing her career with the Nevada Wolf Pack track & field team to a close, senior Nicole Wadden finished ninth in the NCAA Championships heptathlon Saturday night, becoming a second team All-American.
Wadden scored a total of 5,575 points over the two day competition, falling just five points short of eighth and a first team place. Wadden joins teammate Emily Myers as the first Nevada track athletes to become All-Americans since the 2012 season and the first outdoor All-Americans since 2011. Wadden also finishes her career in second on the Nevada all-time list in the multi event.
"That's just how the event goes sometimes," Wadden said. "I just wanted to leave it all on the track. I knew it was my last race. I definitely wanted to be first team, but that felt really good." (Continued below)
There was a break in the weather that had been hitting Hayward Field all meet prior to the action getting underway, resulting in a relatively dry long jump. Wadden, jumping in the cold, came just 10 centimeters short of her personal record with a best mark of 19 feet and 5.25 inches (5.92m). The distance was good enough for 825 points, vaulting Wadden from 11th to eighth with two events left.
The break in the weather was done, however, by the time Wadden's flight of the javelin throw came around. She threw for 122 feet and an inch (37.21m), despite hail and rain pounding the track throughout the competition, even resulting in a short weather delay. The mark moved Wadden down, but just barely, to ninth heading into the 800 meter.
Wadden tackled to 800 meter with ease, finishing third overall and first in her crowded heat with a time of 2:16.57. It would prove to be just barely short of moving her up a spot, however, as the Canada native finished five points out of eighth place.
"My time at Nevada was awesome. As a freshman, I didn't expect to do this well. It's been so fun."
