NE10 40th Anniversary Home Page
Every standard that had been set for distance runners in Northeast-10 Conference history was shattered when UMass Lowell's Nicole (Plante) Huntbegan her Hall of Fame career, resulting in a 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship in the 10,000 meters.
Hunt (2003-07) had a prolific cross country and track & field career with the River Hawks, becoming a nine-time All-American and seven-time NE10 champion in the distance events of 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. She was also a two-time NE10 Female Athlete of the Year and five-time All-New England honors.
In cross country, Hunt was a two-time Northeast Region Athlete of the Year, two-time NE10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year and four-time NE10 First Team All-Conference selection. She was the individual winner of the NE10 Cross Country Championship as a junior and senior, and ranks sixth in league history in the 5K version of the race (17:54.8 in 2004). Her most impressive race came as a senior at the NCAA Championships when she took second overall, falling in the race by just six seconds. It is still the highest finish for an NE10 women's cross country runner at the NCAA Championships. She finished her career as a two-time cross country All-American.
An inductee in the UMass Lowell Hall of Fame's Class of 2008, Hunt capped-off her remarkable career with an NCAA title – outracing the competition with a time of 35 minutes, 25.49 seconds to win the 10,000 meter championship. She still holds school records in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs in outdoor track & field.
"Nicole is by far the best distance runner we've ever had, and not just among the ones I've coached, but I believe in UMass Lowell history," said head coach Gary Gardner at the time of Hunt's Hall of Fame induction at her alma mater. "Her work ethic made her great. She was not the most gifted athlete that we ever had, but her biggest gift was the ability to carry a high workload."
Hunt was inducted into the NE10 Hall of Fame in 2019, along with her teammate Jacqui Barrett. The duo became the fourth and fifth women's track & field athletes to ever be inducted into the league's Hall of Fame.
Nicole Hunt Links of Note: