Mike Ridaught
Nicole Shepherd has no regrets.
The Bell High School Class of 2023 graduate finished out her prep career with a pair of track and field state titles, but when she first tried the sport as a freshman she had no idea how far it would take her.
“I simply thought it would be a fun school sport to try,” Shepherd said. “I knew a couple people on the team and they had always said great things about it, so I figured track would be an enjoyable sport to keep me in shape.”
When she started track, she actually tried to run middle distance.
“But I quickly found a huge passion and talent for the jumping events, especially high jump,” Shepherd said. “At the time, I had no idea how far I would go with track and field, but I am so glad I tried out for the team that year.”
She participated in four sports for the Bulldogs, including cheerleading her senior year.
“Cheerleading is not necessarily a passion of mine,” Shepherd said. “I tried cheer for the first time in my senior year of high school because I would’ve regretted not trying it.”
Shepherd also played basketball and volleyball for the ‘Dogs, but she decided to discontinue participating in those sports her senior year for a few reasons.
“My junior year was a very busy year for me and I knew that I did not want to repeat the busyness in my senior seasons,” she said. “Also, I didn’t have the same passion and heart for those sports like I had in the past. Instead of competing in basketball and volleyball, I chose to work hard to get stronger and prepare for my senior track season.”
That hard work paid off in the classroom too where she maintained a weighted 4.2 GPA and was recognized as Summa cum laude, finishing top 10 in her class.
In the end her focus on one sport led to an opportunity to compete at the next level, earning a Division I scholarship to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
“It is exciting for our program to begin to build a complete team,” said Jeff Pigg, UNF’s Director of Cross Country/Track and Field. “The first step is to bring in even stronger group jumpers. Nicole is a great fit for the UNF track program.”
Shepherd won a state title in the high jump her junior year at the FHSAA Girls Class 1A Track and Field State Championships with a leap of 5-feet, 5-inches.
She eclipsed that mark to repeat as state champion in the high jump when she cleared 5-feet, 7 inches (1.70 meters), earning her a spot on the Mainstreet Daily News inaugural All Area team presented by Bosshardt Realty.
“She is a very naturally gifted athlete, very hard worker,” said Brad Surrency, who is in his 13th year as head coach of the Bell track and field team. “She is one of those rare athletes that can see the goal she wants to set and is able to attain it very easily.”
Shepherd, who plans to pursue a sociology degree at UNF, also added a leap of 10.72 meters in the triple jump and 4.84 meters in the long jump.
“She is a very talented jumper,” said UNF assistant coach Greg Krupa (sprints and jumps). “She has great work ethic and we are very excited to add her to the jumps group.”
Among Shepherd’s other achievements was a state runner-up finish in 2021 in the high jump and an eighth-place finish at state in the triple jump her junior year.
She was a three-time region high jump champion, a two-time district high jump champion and a two-time district triple jump champion.
There were certainly lots of great moments for the outgoing senior.
“One of my favorite moments was at my senior year regional meet when I got personal bests in both the long jump and triple jump, and I set the venue and region record in high jump,” Shepherd said. “A very memorable moment for me was when I won the state championship title in the high jump for the first time my junior year. The joy I felt from reaching all of my goals that year, as well as having an amazing support system around me certainly made my meets memorable.”
Another favorite moment from this past year was when she cleared 5’7” (1.70m) twice in the high jump and went on to win state in the high jump in the same stadium that she will compete in the future (Hodges Stadium on the campus of UNF).
She’s definitely excited about being an Osprey.
“I chose UNF for many reasons, but, in short, it simply felt like the right choice for me,” Shepherd said. “I immediately felt comfortable with the school, coaches, and my teammates. I feel that UNF will fully support and train me to be the best student, athlete and person I can be. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level. To this day, it is hard to believe the reality of receiving this amazing opportunity to compete for UNF.”
But before she embarks on the next chapter of her life, Shepherd took a few moments to reflect on the small school in Gilchrist County.“I will definitely remember all of the friends I have made, important life-lessons I have learned, and the amazing memories that have come out of competing in the track program at Bell High School,” she said. “I am also so grateful for Coach Surrency, Mrs. Libby (field event coach), and my family for supporting my journey to compete at the higher level. It took a lot of hard work from all of us to get me to this position and I am so thankful for the sacrifices that they have made for me.”