Chappell, Lara, Naimadu & Zemba Inducted into NCAA DII Athlete Hall of Fame

NEW ORLEANS – Four former collegiate track & field standouts were inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame Wednesday evening ahead of the NCAA Division II Championships in Allendale, Michigan.

Duane Chappell (Lewis), Nicholas Lara (Adams State), Nicodemus Naimadu (Abilene Christian), and Mandi Zemba (Grand Valley State) were honored during the pre-championships social on the campus of Grand Valley State University.

View the USTFCCCA’s Division II Athlete Hall of Fame

Duane Chappell – Lewis University

The 2004 graduate of Lewis picked up three national titles indoors and three outdoors in the pole vault, for a total of six that is unmatched in NCAA Division II history. He also garnered All-American honors in the 4×400-meter relay while competing for the Flyers.

He won three consecutive outdoor pole vault titles in 2002 (17-3¾/5.28m), 2003 (16-6¾/5.05m) and 2004 (17-¾/5.20m), making him one of just three men in DII history to win three in a row outdoors. Indoors, he won back-to-back in 2001 (17-4½/5.30m) and 2002 (17-¾/5.20m), before closing out his indoor career with a title in 2004 (16-8¾/5.10m).

Nicholas Lara – Adams State University

The 2008 graduate of Adams State was named to the RMAC All-Centennial Track and Field Team and twice named the conference’s indoor track athlete of the year. He accumulated seven national titles during his career, including three indoor 800-meter titles in 2006 (1:52.15), 2007 (1:49.73) and 2008 (1:50.59). Until Drew Windle of Ashland won his third consecutive indoor title in 2015, he had been the lone man in DII indoor history to win three career national titles at 800 meters.

He added outdoor 800-meter titles in 2005 (1:49.29) and 2006 (1:55.46), and ran legs of the winning distance medley relays indoors in 2006 and 2007. His five career 800-meter titles between indoors and outdoors are tied for the most in DII history.

Nicodemus Naimadu – Abilene Christian University

The 2007 graduate of Abilene Christian is the only man in NCAA Division II history to win four cross country national titles, in addition to nine on the track. He earned All-American honors four times in cross country, eight times indoors and six times outdoors.

No other man in DII history has won more than two cross country titles, a total Naimadu doubled with wins in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He followed the first three titles with indoor crowns at 5000 meters in 2005 (13:59.64), 2006 (14:07.55) and 2007 (14:02.87). He also ran a leg of the winning distance medley relay in 2005.

Outdoors he won five titles, including 3000-meter steeplechase/5000-meter doubles in 2005 (8:46.71/13:59.67) and 2006 (8:59.90/14:47.90), before focusing on the steeple 2007 for a t hen-meet record 8:36.84.

Mandi Zemba – Grand Valley State

The 2007 graduate of Grand Valley State owns the DII Championships’ fastest time in the indoor 3000 meters and second fastest in the 5000. She won seven national titles throughout her career, including four on the outdoor circuit, two indoors and one in cross country.

Outdoors, she doubled in both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters in both 2006 and 2007. Her 2006 titles in the 3000 (9:27.01) and 5000 (17:10.69) came on the heels of a 2005 cross country crown. The following year, she preceded her double in the 3k (meet-record 9:09.40) and 5k (16:08.80) with an indoor 5000 title in 16:16.77. She was also a member of the winning distance medley relay indoors in 2007.