Nelkie Track and Field
2013: Named the Dominick Taddonio Team MVP for the third-straight year… Led the team in six races and was second in the other two… Was First Team All-Horizon League after placing third at the HL Championship in 25:54, the highest finish by a Titan since 1987… The 20th Titan harrier to run in four NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships and posted the 15th best finish in Detroit history taking 75th in a personal record 32:24… Won the 27th Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational in 20:44, just the second Titan to ever win the event following Chris McPhee in 1999 and 2001… It was also the fourth best Titan time at Cass Benton… Started the season with a runner-up effort at the Golden Grizzly Open in 15:52… Was 14th at the National Catholic Championship in 25:44, his best run ever in four career races at UND, and the best by a Titan at the event since 1987… Placed seventh at the Penn State National in 26:49…A member of the Detroit Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the HL Fall Academic Honor Roll.
2012: Took home the highest honor on the year in the Dominic Taddonio Team MVP… Was the top Titan in five of UDM's seven races, while taking second on the squad in the other two…He posted his career-best 8k time of 25:38 for ninth place at the Horizon League Championships to earn All-HL Second Team… Led Detroit at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional with another career best of 33:39 for 122nd, a 32nd-place improvement from 2011…Started the season fourth at the Golden Grizzly Open in 19:24, a new career-mark in the 4-mile… Claimed eighth at the Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational with a run of 21:03… Top 50 at the National Catholic Championship (49th in 26:03) and the Vic Matthews Open (47th in 26:35)… Named to the UDM Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
2011: Shared team Dominick Taddonio MVP honors with Edwin Gay… Top Titan finisher on two occasions, at Louisville with his 8k PR of 25:54 and at Horizon Leagues taking 22nd in 27:36, a 26 place improvement… Finished a shade behind his co-MVP at National Catholics at 26:04 and Guelph 26:10... NCAA Great Lakes Regional finish of 166th- 34:00 for 10k.
2010: Varsity scorer in all of his races... Placed 12th at the Golden Grizzly Open with a time of 19:56... Cass-Benton debut of 21:22 finishing 20th in the Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invite... 8k PR of 26:28 at Louisville... Horizon League finish of 48th running 27:02... 10k debut at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional taking 154th in 33:42 as team’s third man.
High School: Earned All-State as a senior after taking 10th at the Michigan Division 2 championships, while finishing 42nd as a junior... Also a regional champion as a junior and senior in the 3200-meters, earning seventh at the state meet in 2010.
Personal: Son of Julie and Charles Nelkie... Majoring in electrical engineering.
Career Best:
5k: 15:39 at 2013 EMU Classic
4-Mile: 19:24 at 2012 Golden Grizzly Open
6k: 19:56 at 2010 Golden Grizzly Open
8k: 25:38 at 2012 Horizon League Championship
5.2-Mile: 26:49 at 2013 Penn State National
10k: 32:24 at 2013 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship
Career Finishes
2013 Results
Aug. 30 - Golden Grizzly Open (Oakland University campus - Rochester Hills, MI) - 15:52 - 2nd
Sept. 7 - 27th Annual Running Fit - Detroit Titan Invitational (Cass Benton Park - Northville, MI) - 20:44 – 1st
Sept. 20 - National Catholic Championships (UND Cross Country Course - South Bend, IN) - 25:44 – 14th
Oct. 5 - Greater Louisville Classic (EP "Tom" Sawyer Park - Louisville, KY) - 25:42 - 69th
Oct. 18 – Penn State National Invitational (Blue & White Golf Course – University Park, PA) – 26:49 – 7th
Oct. 25 – EMU Classic (Hudson Mills Metropark - Dexter, MI) – 15:39 – 17th
Nov. 2 - Horizon League Championship (Boardman Course - Boardman, OH) - 25:54 - 3rd
Nov. 15 - NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Course - Verona, WI) - 32:24 - 75th
2012 Results
Aug. 31 - Golden Grizzly Open (Oakland University campus - Rochester Hills, MI) – 19:24 – 4th
Sept. 8 - 26th Annual Running Fit - Detroit Titan Invitational (Cass Benton Park - Northville, MI) – 21:02 – 8th
Sept. 14 - National Catholic Championships (Warren Golf Course - South Bend, IN) – 26:03 – 49th
Sept. 29 - Greater Louisville Classic (EP "Tom" Sawyer Park - Louisville, KY) - 25:54 - 54th
Oct. 13 - Vic Matthews Open (University of Guelph course - Guelph, ON) - 26:35 - 47th (7.5k)
Oct. 27 - Horizon League Championship (Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course - Kenosha, WI) - 25:38 - 9th
Nov. 9 - NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Course - Verona, WI) - 33:39 - 122nd
2011 Results
Sept. 10 - 25th Annual Running Fit - Detroit Titan Invitational (Cass Benton Park - Northville, MI) - 21:38 - 4th
Sept. 16 – National Catholic Championship (Warren Golf Course – Sound Bend, MI) - 26:04 - 61st
Oct. 1 - Greater Louisville Classic (EP "Tom" Sawyer Park - Louisville, KY) - 25:54 - 42nd
Oct. 16 – Vic Matthews Open (University of Guelph course – Guelph, ON) - 26:10 - 61st
Oct. 29 - Horizon League Championships (Squire Vallevue Farm - Hunting Valley, OH) - 27:36 - 22nd
Nov. 12 - NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Ottawa Park Golf Course - Toledo, OH) - 34:00 - 166th
2010 Results
Sept. 2 – Golden Grizzly Open (Oakland University campus – Rochester Hills, MI) – 19:56 – 12th
Sept. 11 - 24th Annual Running Fit Detroit Titan Invite (Cass Benton Park - Northville, MI) – 21:22 – 20th
Sept. 17 - National Catholic Championship (Warren Golf Course - South Bend, IN) – 26:35 – 60th
Oct. 2 - Greater Louisville Classic (EP "Tom" Sawyer Park - Louisville, KY) – 26:28 – 91st
Oct. 16 – Penn State National Invitational (Blue & White Golf Course – University Park, PA) – 27:44 – 166th
Oct. 30 - Horizon League Championships (Montrose Beach - Chicago, IL) – 27:02 - 48th
Nov. 13 - NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Katke-Cousins Golf Course - Rochester, MI) – 33:42 – 154th
