Julia Nielsen Claims 800 Title on Final Day of MVC Championship

Results

Track & Field 5/16/2021 5:56:00 PM

Freshman Julia Nielsen repeated as the 800m titlist at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, claiming the crown at the outdoor meet to cap Bradley's performance on Sunday.

Nielsen led a dominant team performance in the event as Bradley claimed the top three runners. Also winning the indoor title in the 800m in February, Nielsen clocked a time of 2:06.17 to finish first on Sunday. Her time not only set the school record in the event – topping the previous standard of 2:06.61 – but also set the MVC Outdoor Championship standard by more than half a second. Wichita State's Danielle Chapman previously held the mark at 2:06.69, set in 2012. Nielsen is the second Brave in school history to win the 800m title, joining Emily Delvo in 2014.

Overall, Bradley claimed 24 points in the event as the Braves were the only team to sweep the podium in any track event – men's or women's – at the 2021 championship. Freshman Tiana LoStracco finished second with a mark of 2:06.51 – also topping the previous MVC Championship and Bradley records – to earn individual all-conference honors for the first time during her career. Freshman Wilma Nielsen followed in third in 2:07.51 to collect her third All-Valley accolade of her rookie season.

On the men's side, senior Scott Seymour placed third in the 800m run to receive All-Valley honors in an individual event for the first time in his collegiate career. The senior ran a time of 1:50.09 as three Braves scored in the event. Freshman Max Dieterich finished sixth in 1:51.85, while senior Alec Hartman was eighth in 1:58.23.

Overall, a total of 13 individuals scored for the Braves in Sunday's action. A trio of Bradley men finished among the top eight in the 5,000m run with junior Alec Danner leading the way with a time of 14:53.64. Sophomore Charlie Parrish followed closely behind in sixth (14:57.35), while classmate Matt Aho placed eighth (15:00.67). Freshman Jack Crull also finished fifth for the team in the 1,500m run with a time of 3:53.57.

Two Braves also scored for the women's program in the 5,000m run. Sophomore Tyler Schwartz was fifth in 17:25.11, while freshman Sophia McDonnell was right behind in sixth at 17:26.58. Sophomore Hannah Ivy also placed fifth in the 400m dash with a time of 56.00.

The Bradley women's 4x400 highlighted the performance for the school's relay teams on Sunday, setting a BU record. The team of Ivy, T'ya Suber, Julia Nielsen and Wilma Nielsen crossed the finish line in 3:46.17 – 2.69 seconds ahead of the previous school standard – to place fourth overall in the event.

The BU men's 4x400 relay placed fifth with a time of 3:18.37, while the women's 4x100 relay was eighth in 48.25.

In the team standings, the Bradley men placed seventh overall with 58 points, while the women were eighth with 51 points – the program's most since scoring 52 in 2016. Overall, the Braves' 109 combined points are the most in school history at the MVC Outdoor Championship, topping the previous record of 104 in 2016.

Parrish was also recognized for his work off the track following Sunday's meet, collecting the MVC Elite 17 Award. Parrish, who earned All-Valley honors in the 3,000m steeplechase Saturday, earned the honor for having the highest GPA by an all-conference performer.

The Braves are back in action in two weeks, competing at the NCAA West Preliminary on the campus of Texas A&M.

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