Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
NCAA Outdoor Championship
Nettles Uses Strong Final Day of Heptathlon to Claim Top-20 Finish
June 13, 2026 | Track & Field
Nettles, a graduate student for the Cardinals, etched her name into Ball State history on Saturday night by placing 16th in the heptathlon at the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In doing so, Nettles became the second-best heptathlon scorer in program history while joining Jenelle Rogers as the only Ball State athletes ever to finish inside the top 20 in the NCAA heptathlon. Her total score of 5,703 points is a personal record and ranks second all-time in Ball State program history.
Her performance was aided by three personal records, including two on the first day of competition. The first was the shot put by over an entire meter, improving from 12.47 meters to 13.50 meters. She followed that with another PR in the 200-meter dash, dropping her best to 24.35 seconds to close the first day of competition.
After a 16th-place finish in the long jump, the back-to-back MAC heptathlon champion moved into 14th place in overall standings. Nettles kept the momentum going, posting her third PR of the competition, this time finishing ninth in the javelin with a mark of 40.56 meters.
A transfer from Illinois in the fall of 2024, Nettles entered the final event—the 800 meters—still in 14th. She finished 16th in the 800, finishing the seven-event heptathlon as one of just four competitors in the entire field to finish in the top 16 in each of the final five events.
The finish in the 800 meters saw her drop to 16th overall in the standings, leaving her as one of only two MAC athletes to record a top 16 finish at this year's national championships. Mercy Jebitok of Akron finished 12th in the 10,000 meters.
Her final day of heptathlon competiton reflects another obstacle overcome by the athlete once declared as medically retired, before she transferred to Ball State. Just a year ago, after Day 1 of NCAA heptathlon competition, Nettles was scratched before the start of Day 2 action at these same NCAA finals. This year, she continued setting records until the close of the final event, cementing her place in Ball State track & field history.
2:45pm ET | 11:45am PT - 100m Hurdles (13.81 PR) | 14:08, 19th place
3:45pm ET | 12:45pm PT - High Jump (1.75m PR) | 1.60m, 23rd place
5:45pm ET | 2:45pm PT - Shot Put (12.47m PR) | 13.50m PR, 4th place
9:43pm ET | 6:43pm PT - 200m (24.43 PR) | 24.35 PR, 11th place
NCAA Heptathlon Finals Schedule - Saturday:
5:30pm ET | 2:30pm PT - Long Jump (6.02m PR) | 5.86m, 16th place
6:45pm ET | 3:45pm PT - Javelin (40.10m PR) | 40.56m PR, 9th place
9:43pm ET | 6:43pm PT - 800m (2:18.01 PR) | 2:21.20, 16th place
Final Score: 5,703 points PR, 16th place
