One of the best prep track careers in state history.
That’s what Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Academy senior Nicole Olivieri has put together over the course of the last four seasons.
James Traynor
Alma’s Trinity Greer won the 200 in a new meet record time Tuesday. (Sun Photo by JAMES TRAYNOR)
On Tuesday afternoon from Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Shepherd the Central Michigan track-recruit turned in a showing for the ages as she won three events and landed runner-up in another at the Mid Michigan Meet of Champions.
As it was Olivieri set a new meet record and school record in the 400 dash, finishing first with a time of 56.86. She bested the previous Meet of Champions standard of 57.63 set by Shepherd star Amber Gall back in 2018. Her time in the 400 also earned her an automatic bid into the Nike Outdoor National Meet in Eugene, Ore., on June 16-19.
Results from Meet of Champions here
Immediately following her record run Olivieri was ecstatic as she knew she had done something special, stating, “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it.”
For her career Olivieri has now won six state championships in track and field, one being a D4 team state crown (2021) and five being individual titles.
One year ago she won the D4 state crown in the 400 dash, 800 relay and 1,600 relay in helping the Irish win the D4 team title. As a freshman she won state titles in the 1,600 relay and 3,200 relay all while finishing seventh in the 800 relay and eighth in the high jump. Her sophomore track season was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, thus it leaves one to wonder what might have been?
Moreover, last fall she earned All-State honors in cross country via a seventh-place finish in the D4 finals. It was her first year running cross country too.
Olivieri also teamed up with Olivia Middleton, Anna Plum and Lily Deja in winning the 800 relay and with Abby Spencer, Deja and Plum in winning the 1,600 relay Tuesday. She was also second in the 200 behind only Alma senior star Destiny Greer.
Greer also had a day to remember as she set the meet record in the 200 dash, winning it in 25.86. The previous record was 25.8 set by Chippewa Hills’ Rochelle Nelson in 1988. Nelson’s time was hand-timed, thus when you convert the two times Greer’s time is faster.
Greer, a Saginaw Valley State recruit, is also putting the finishing touches on what has been a phenomenal career at Alma. She set the school record in the 200 at 25.17 a couple weeks back and was All-State in the 100 and 200 last year as she was runner-up in both at the D2 state finals. She was also a part of the 800 relay team that finished fifth.
Looking ahead Olivieri and the Irish are one of the favorites to make a run at the MHSAA D4 state title in Hudsonville Saturday. Olivieri is seeded first in the 200 and 400 while the SHA 800 relay team is seeded second and the 1,600 relay team is seeded fourth.