NEW ORLEANS - App State freshman
Lilly Nichols nabbed this week's Sun Belt Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week nod after a record-breaking performance in the women's pole vault at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va. on Jan. 17-18.
In her debut in the Black and Gold, Nichols shattered the App State program, Sun Belt regular season, and U20 Polish indoor women's pole vault records with a personal best clearance of 4.26m (13' 11.75"). She finished fourth overall in Saturday's pole vault event. The previous App State record was 4.06m (13' 3.75"), which was set in 2004 and was matched by
Ava Studney last season. The previous Sun Belt season record was 4.20m (13' 9.25"), set in 2017 by UTA's Helen Falda, and the previous U20 Polish record was 4.22m (13' 10"), set in 2015 by Kamila Przybyła.
The Broomfield, Colo. native is the second Mountaineer this season to earn the SBC's Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week honor after Studney collected the 2024-25 season's first honor on Dec. 11 for her performance in the women's pole vault at the John Weaver Invitational (Dec. 2).
Nichols leads the Sun Belt, ranks fifth in the NCAA Southeast Region, and stands 16th in the NCAA in the women's indoor pole vault.
The Mountaineers are set to compete at Clemson's Orange and Purple Invitational on Jan. 24-25 in Clemson, S.C.
