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Q&A With Nell Graham Sprints/Multi-Events, Senior

What’s your major?

So, it’s technically business administration but I take tri-college classes at MSUM for speech-language pathology.

I want to help people with language and fluency disorders gain their language so that they can communicate normally.

What makes you want to do that?

I’ve always wanted to help people and I love interacting with people. Both my mom and my sister have hearing loss. So, it’s kind of appealing to me that I can help people like them in the future.

So, do you know ASL?

No, not yet, but I want to learn it so badly.

What other passions do you have outside of Track & Field?

I love hanging out with my friends. I like to watch a lot of Netflix and TV. My parents are in Knoxville, Tennessee right by the Smoky Mountains. So, I love going hiking and just kind of doing anything outdoorsy. I love to travel and I love watching track.

I didn’t think you were from Tennessee.

I’m not. I’m from near Rochester, Minnesota. My parents moved to Knoxville right after I graduated high school. I love going to the University of Tennessee football games when I visit them. SEC football is so much fun to watch.

What are your goals for this season?

I think the biggest goal would be obviously our team conference championship. That’s the main goal. And then, our 4×400 relay team really wants to be able to qualify for regionals and run a time under 3:40. That would be awesome. I just want to help the team out in as many ways as possible.

Last year, you came super close in the 400 meters at the conference championships, taking second in the indoor and outdoor. Is that something you have your sights set on heading into this season?

Yes, that would be awesome. I do the heptathlon, starting last year, as well so that is kind of a hard double, but I know that I’m capable of running a good time.

Are there any events in the heptathlon that you hadn’t done before coming in last year?

I really hadn’t ever jumped the high jump or the long jump. I’ve never really done shotput or javelin.

Do you feel like you have a stronger grasp heading into some of those events heading into this season?

Yes. I’ve been practicing all fall and with our new multi-coach, Jackson Schepp. We’ve been working on a lot of techniques. At the end of last year, I was excited to get back to working at a lot of them because I knew I had a lot of things I could improve on.

When did you first fall in love with track?

When I was in elementary school, we had to run the mile and when we did, I beat all of the boys. I thought it was so cool and it just made me want to run. I love track, but I love the team even more. It’s so fun to come here every day with my best friends and work towards a common goal.

Is the social aspect of track one of your favorite parts?

Yes, I love getting to meet new people. And I think the opportunities that track has brought to me are really cool. I get to go all around the country with my best friends and compete at these insane meets and I get to see a bunch of like new places.

So what are you most looking forward to this season?

Trying to win conference again. It wasn’t fun to lose last year. So, hopefully, we can bring back the conference title this year. Other than that, just getting to compete and hopefully improving my times and just enjoying my last few years of track.

Accomplishments

2019-2020

Indoor:
• 6th in the 400m (Summit League Championships)
• 1st in the 4x400m (Summit League Championships)

2020-2021

Indoor:
• 4th in the 400m (Summit League Championships)
• 2nd in the 4x400m relay (Summit League Championships).

Outdoor:
• 3rd in the 400m (Summit League Championships)
• 2nd in the 4x400m relay (Summit League Championships)

2021-2022

Indoor:
• 2nd in the 400m (Summit League Championships)
• 2nd in the 4x400m relay (Summit League Championships)
• 5th in the pentathlon (Summit League Championships)

Outdoor:
• 2nd in the 400m (Summit League Championships)
• 2nd in the 4x400m relay (Summit League Championships)
• 2nd in the heptathlon (Summit League Championships)
• 7th in the 200m (Summit League Championships)
• Ran the 8th fastest 400m in school history (54.61)
• Ran the 9th fastest 200m in school history (24.26)

Written by Brady Drake

Q&A With Jacob Rodin Mid-Distance, Senior

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