Running away with honors
Jeff Pawola - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 5/14/08 Section: Sports
As The Daily Iowan's consensus pick for Female Athlete of the Year, senior Diane Nukuri adds yet another accolade to an overflowing trophy case.
Already in possession of eight school records, the Midwest Regional Cross-Country Runner of the Year award, and the Big Ten Women's Cross-Country Athlete of the Year award, Nukuri's decorated career can now be now considered complete.
Not exactly.
Still, the women's harrier was happy to know her individual and team accomplishments haven't gone unnoticed in Hawkeye country.
"It feels good," she said after learning about the honor. "It's nice to know that people pay attention to the team."
Beyond the individual accolades, the All-American helped the Hawkeyes finish 10th at the NCAA cross-country championships and fifth at both the Big Ten cross-country and indoor track and field championships.
With several meets remaining, Nukuri can't close the trophy case just yet, as more accolades and individual accomplishments appear well within her reach.
Scheduled to run in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters over the weekend at the outdoor Big Ten meet in Champaign, Ill., Nukuri is looking to add two more Big Ten championships.
"I don't put anything past Diane," said head coach Layne Anderson. "She's more then capable of winning both."
Following the conference meet, Nukuri will turn her focus to the NCAA championships, for which she has already qualified in the 10,000 meters. Not only has she qualified, she is ranked third nationally.
"Her biggest strength is her strength. The longer the run, the better runner she is," Anderson said. "She thrives on long, hard, and sustained runs."
Despite also being ranked fifth nationally in the 5,000, Nukuri has opted out of competing in that race and focus her efforts solely on the 10,000 - the longest race offered at the collegiate level - at the NCAAs.
Don't rule her out of running future 5,000s after her college career ends, however; as she is in the process of earning a spot on the 2008 Olympic team for her home country of Burundi.
She competed for her native land in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Nukuri is most thankful for her opportunity to get a college education after leaving Burundi.
"I always think of [running] as a chance for me," she said. "I know people back home don't get a chance to go to school."
Most importantly for Nukuri, she will graduate in December with a degree in communications. Planning to stay an extra semester and enroll in two classes, Nukuri will have the opportunity to continue to train under Anderson and continue her progress toward becoming a professional runner.
E-mail DI reporter Jeff Pawola at:
jeffrey-pawola@uiowa.edu
Already in possession of eight school records, the Midwest Regional Cross-Country Runner of the Year award, and the Big Ten Women's Cross-Country Athlete of the Year award, Nukuri's decorated career can now be now considered complete.
Not exactly.
Still, the women's harrier was happy to know her individual and team accomplishments haven't gone unnoticed in Hawkeye country.
"It feels good," she said after learning about the honor. "It's nice to know that people pay attention to the team."
Beyond the individual accolades, the All-American helped the Hawkeyes finish 10th at the NCAA cross-country championships and fifth at both the Big Ten cross-country and indoor track and field championships.
With several meets remaining, Nukuri can't close the trophy case just yet, as more accolades and individual accomplishments appear well within her reach.
Scheduled to run in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters over the weekend at the outdoor Big Ten meet in Champaign, Ill., Nukuri is looking to add two more Big Ten championships.
"I don't put anything past Diane," said head coach Layne Anderson. "She's more then capable of winning both."
Following the conference meet, Nukuri will turn her focus to the NCAA championships, for which she has already qualified in the 10,000 meters. Not only has she qualified, she is ranked third nationally.
"Her biggest strength is her strength. The longer the run, the better runner she is," Anderson said. "She thrives on long, hard, and sustained runs."
Despite also being ranked fifth nationally in the 5,000, Nukuri has opted out of competing in that race and focus her efforts solely on the 10,000 - the longest race offered at the collegiate level - at the NCAAs.
Don't rule her out of running future 5,000s after her college career ends, however; as she is in the process of earning a spot on the 2008 Olympic team for her home country of Burundi.
She competed for her native land in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Nukuri is most thankful for her opportunity to get a college education after leaving Burundi.
"I always think of [running] as a chance for me," she said. "I know people back home don't get a chance to go to school."
Most importantly for Nukuri, she will graduate in December with a degree in communications. Planning to stay an extra semester and enroll in two classes, Nukuri will have the opportunity to continue to train under Anderson and continue her progress toward becoming a professional runner.
E-mail DI reporter Jeff Pawola at:
jeffrey-pawola@uiowa.edu
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