Temple University Athletics
Laura Nicholson of Track & Field Earns PhillySIDA Academic All-Area
6.16.23 | Women's Track and Field
PHILADELPHIA – After an standout season, Track & Field star Laura Nicholson has been named one of the 11 student-athletes on the PhillySIDA Academic All-Area women's track & field team. The team is nominated and voted on by the sports information offices of 30 area institutions from the Philadelphia Metro Area.
In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area honors, an athlete must be in at least their second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better. This is the second straight year an Owl has been recognized as All-Area after distance runner Michelle Joyce earned the honor at the conclusion of last season.
Nicholson had an outstanding senior campaign. The Cork, Ireland native earned All-Conference honors at the AAC Indoor Championships with a third-place finish in the mile. She also advanced to the finals in the 800m run. As calendar flipped to outdoor, Nicholson continued to shine, placing 7th in a field of 123 in the 800m at the Raleigh Relays. Perhaps the highlight of her season came at Temple's own Temple Owls Invitational. Nicholson set the school record (4:15.89) for the 1500m run in front of a capacity crowd at the Temple Sports Complex. Her time would send her to the NCAA East Prelims for the event.
The middle distance runner continued her strong campaign with a seventh place finish and personal best in the 800m run (2:06.78). She finished bronze at the Penn Relays in the 1500m. At the AAC Championships, Nicholson became the first Owl to win gold in the 1500m since 2015. She also picked up a silver medal in the 800m, netting one of the best individual performances among women at the event. She advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary quarterfinals where her season came to end.
Academically speaking, Nicholson is a four time Dean's list honoree as a Recreational Therapy major. She earned sports on the 2022 Presidents Honor Roll and made Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2022 as well.
