University of New Hampshire Athletics
5/24/2022 11:51:00 AM | General, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
DURHAM, N.H. --Senior Nicole Yeomans (Foxborough, Mass.) and freshman Jill Walker (Simi Valley, Calif.) -- both of the UNH women's cross country and track & field teams -- were honored as the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week more than any other females in the 2021-22 academic year. Here is a look back at each of their awards.
Nicole Yeomans was named the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week four times during the 2021-22 academic year. Those four accolades were more than any Wildcat – male or female – in 2021-22. Nicole was honored twice during the indoor track & field season and twice more in the outdoor season.
Most recently, she was named the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week on May 9. That honor was in recognition of her performance at the 2022 America East Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships that were held May 7-8 at the University of Vermont.
Nicole won a gold medal with a first-place finish in the 1,500-meter run in the May 8 finals. Later that day at UVM's Livak Track & Field Complex, she ran the anchor leg of the UNH;s 4x800m relay that won a silver medal with a second-place finish.
On Day 1 of the conference meet, Nicole raced in Heat 1 (of three heats) and was the first of 11 runners across the finish line to automatically qualify for the finals with a time of 4 minutes, 45.40 seconds and that proved to be the fastest qualifying time of the 31entrants in the 1,500m.
In the 1,500m finals on Day 2, Nicole settled into the middle of the pack in the opening 300 meters, then surged to the front at 400m. She quickly pulled away from the pack and then created a gap from the only other runner who had separated from the pack. Nicole crossed the finish line in 4:31.35 to win the gold medal.
Nicole completed the sweep of the indoor mile and outdoor 1,500m in the 2021-22 season; she was the mile champion at the 2022 America East Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Her first Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week recognition in the outdoor season was April 18. That weekend, Nicole raced to second place in the 1,500m with a personal-best time of 4:26.16 at the UConn Northeast Challenge; she was edged at the finish line by 0.57 seconds, but her time shattered her previous best of 4:30.91 established at the 2021 New England Championships.
Nicole was also feted Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week on Feb. 28. That weekend, she headlined UNH's performance at the America East Indoor Track & Field Championships as the champion in the mile and a third-place finish in the 1,000-meter.
The first-place finish in the mile – with a time of 4:54.30 – marked Nicole's first individual gold medal at a conference championship meet; she was part of UNH's winning 4x800m relay team at the 2021 outdoor meet. She raced to a bronze medal in the 1,000m at the 2022 indoor conference meet with a time of 2:56.28.
Nicole received her first Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week award in the 2021-22 season on Dec. 13. That weekend, she won the mile (4:57.58) in an indoor quad meet at Dartmouth College that included the University of Maine and University of Vermont. She was also honored as the America East Women's Track Performer of the Week in recognition of that winning effort, which at the time marked the fastest mile in the conference and third-fastest mark in the nation.
Jill Walker was named the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week three times during the 2021-22 academic year; the three honors were second only to Nicole Yeomans. Jill was honored once during the cross country season and twice in the outdoor track & field season.
Most recently, she was named the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week on May 16 for her performance at the 45th ECAC Championships held at the College of William & Mary on May 14. Jill won a silver medal in the 3,000-meter run by crossing the finish line with a personal-best time of 9 minutes, 38.90 seconds, which was 5.18 seconds behind the winner and 6.60 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.
It marked just the second time Jill raced in the 3,000m in the 2022 outdoor season. She shaved nearly nine seconds off her time of 9:47.60 at the Friar Invitational on April 8.
The silver-medal effort at the ECACs was the continuation of a highly-successful freshman year in which Jill won the 5,000m at both the 2022 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championships and UMass Outdoor Invitationals, and she placed eighth (was the top UNH runner) at the 2021 America East Cross Country Championships.
Jill was also named the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week on May 2. She won the 5,000-meter run at the Pre-Conference Invitational at UMass on April 30 in a time of 17 minutes, 24.26 seconds – approximately three seconds ahead of the runner-up.
It marked her track & field debut in the 5,000m; Jill had previously raced in the 1,500m twice and the 3,000m in the outdoor track season.
Jill first received the accolade Sept. 13, 2021, following her collegiate debut in the UNH cross country team's season opener at the Friar Invitational (held Sept. 10 at Providence College). She led the Wildcats with a sixth-place finish on the 5K Mark Coogan XC Course at Highland Park.
Jill crossed the finish line with a time of 18 minutes, 17.12 seconds; four of the five runners who placed ahead of her were from the nationally-ranked Friars squad.
Check back next Monday for the unveiling of the top two male Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight award winners in the 2021-22 academic year. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete Spotlight.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & FieldSunday, October 25
Sunday, October 25
Sunday, October 25
Saturday, October 24