Athletic Hall of Fame

Lela V. Nelson

Sport(s): Track and Field

Graduating Class: 2005

Induction Class: 2017

Graduated in 2005; Earned several varsity letters for the women’s track and field indoor and outdoor teams from 2002-2005; Earned the Mid-American Conference indoor long jump title in 2004; Earned MAC Indoor Championship First Team honors in 2004 and Second Team honors in 2003 and 2005; Earned MAC Outdoor Championship Titles in the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, and the 400-meter Relay Team; Voted the 2005 MAC Outdoor Championship Most Valuable Performer; Named MAC Outdoor First Team in 2005; 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Champion in the heptathlon; Two-time outdoor NCAA All-American in the heptathlon and long jump (2005); Left EMU holding eight EMU all-time records including the outdoor 100-meter high hurdles (13.34), long jump (21-3.5), heptathlon (5,878), the 400-meter relay team (44.99), the 800-meter relay team (1:33.8), the 1600-meter relay team (3:36.23) and indoor in the pentathlon (3,894) and the 1600-meter relay team (3:38.49); Won the 2006 USA Indoor Pentathlon Championship while placing sixth in the long jump at the same meet; Placed fourth in the heptathlon at the 2006 USA Outdoor Championships; Had the top performance of the women’s long jump at the 2008 Reebok Boston Indoor Games, with a 6.50-meter mark; Represented the USA at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the long jump as the only female EMU National Champion born in the United States; Qualified for the Olympic Trials in both the long jump and the heptathlon

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