As the winner of the NCAA heptathlon title in 2005, Eastern
Michigan University track and field athlete Lela Nelson
('05) is used to being in elite company.
Her next competition is no different. It will pit her
against Detroit Piston Chauncey Billups, Detroit Red Wings
forward Brendan Shanahan and boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
She's up against the best athletes in the state and she
can't win without help.
 |
Nelson |
Nelson, of Detroit, is one of 22 Michigan athletes to
be named a finalist for the Detroit Free Press' "Michigan's
Best" honor. The honor allows fans to vote for the top
three athletes, amateur and professional, in Michigan for
2005. Past winners of the award, which was first given
out in 1986, include 2004 winner Ben Wallace of the Detroit
Pistons, Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo
and former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. No
one from EMU has ever won the award.
Nelson won the heptathlon title and finished third in
the long jump at the NCAA track and field competition in
Sacramento, Calif. last June. She scored a personal-best
5,878 points in the heptathlon, setting five other personal-best
marks after entering the meet seeded 21st. She won the
heptathlon long jump (21 feet-2 inches), 100-meter hurdles
(13.49 seconds) and 200 meters (23.78). Nelson finished
fifth in the heptathlon and 19th in the long jump at the
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.
The heptathlon features seven different competitions.
Events include the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, shot,
200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters.
Anyone can cast a ballot, but all ballots must rank the
top three athletes. No ballots without three choices will
be counted. Only ballots clipped from the Detroit Free
Press will be counted. Photocopies of the ballot will not
be accepted. All entries must be postmarked by Thursday,
Feb. 2. Ballots should be mailed to Michigan's Best, Detroit
Free Press Sports Dept., 600 W. Fort St., Detroit, MI 48226.
