Mobile's Natalie Neely Signs With Women Tracksters
"Natalie is going to do the heptathlon for us next year," said Powell. "She will also give us depth in the vault and javelin and is a good all-around athlete."
Neely boasts personal best marks of 11-3 in the pole vault, 15.54 in the 100m hurdles, 48.67 in the 300m low hurdles, 36-11 in the triple jump, 17-10 in the long jump, 5-0 in the high jump, 122-4 in the javelin and 3,687 points in the heptathlon throughout her high school career.
"I feel very thankful and blessed to have the opportunity to continue the sport that I love through college," said Neely. "I'm very excited about the upcoming season, and can't wait to officially become a Bulldog."
So far in her senior season, Neely has had 10 individual meet wins and been a member of two championship teams ? Southeastern Relays Team Champion and 6A Sectional Team Champion. She set meet records in the javelin at the Southeastern Relays and the Lyon Newell Annual Charity Throws Meet. At the 6A Sectional Championships, she won the 100m high hurdles, long jump and javelin.
In 2003, she won four championships in the javelin and set a new school record and 6A state record in the event. She was the 2003 Alabama Outdoor State Champion, the Mobile County Champion and the Southeastern Relays Champion. She also set a meet record winning the javelin at the Lyon Newell Annual Charity Throws Meet. In addition, she won the pole vault at the Southeastern Relays and the USATF Club Regionals. Her Yellow Jackets team won the Southeastern Relays Team Championships, Mobile County Team Championships and 6A Sectional Team Championships and finished runner-up at the Alabama Indoor State Championships. She qualified for the Adidas Outdoor Nationals in the pole vault, javelin and triple jump.
A three-time varsity letterwinner, Neely is a three-time member of the all-County Outdoor Track Team and a two-time member of the all-County Indoor Track Team and all-State Track Team. She was also a member of the 2003 all-Metro Track Team. In addition, she was honored with the Most Outstanding Athlete Award for McGill-Toolen for her senior, junior and sophomore years and named the Optimist Club Athlete of the Week twice. She received the 2004 Azalea City Kiwanis Female Athlete of the Year Award and the 2003 Richmond Brown Outstanding Performance Award for Southeastern Relays.
She was named to the honor roll her senior, junior and sophomore years. Off the track, she was a member of the Servants of the Poor, the Friends of Exceptional Children, the HBO Club (Hiking, Biking, and Other), the Pro-Life Club, the School Pride Club and the Spanish Club.
She plans to pursue a degree in sports medicine and Spanish at Mississippi State.