THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University head track and field and cross country coach Stefanie Slekis announced Tuesday that former Sam Houston State track and field student-athlete Courtney Lord has been named the assistant track and field and cross country coach.
“I am thrilled to welcome Courtney Lord to Nicholls as our assistant track and field and cross country coach,” Slekis said. “Courtney brings invaluable Southland Conference experience as both a student-athlete and coach to our staff. She is a native of Austin, Texas, with ties to New Orleans and Baton Rouge so I am confident she will continue our tradition of recruiting strong local and regional student-athletes to our program. She has experience competing and coaching the multis and a variety of events, including sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws, making her the perfect fit for our team. She has the understanding and experience in developing the whole student-athlete, including a strong focus on academics and community service, making her an ideal fit for Nicholls.”
Lord currently holds the Bearkats’ pentathlon record, scoring 3,781 points at the 2018 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. She also scored a career-high 5,184 points in the heptathlon at the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relay (March 2018), marking the second-best performance in school history.
“I really love where we’re at in the program right now,” Lord said. “It’s really exciting for me to build up the program and start from the ground up. That really excites me, especially in the recruiting process – I feel like I can go out there and really sell that to people and get a lot of people to come here. I loved how friendly coach Slekis and the staff were when I came to Thibodaux. Everyone was just so family-oriented and I really liked that.”
Lord won the high jump at the 2016 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a 5-foot, 8 1/2-inch leap, ranking fourth in program history and propelling her squad to a team title, one of five championship squads that she was a key contributor to. As the SLC high jump champion, she earned one of the 47 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round slots for her exceptional performance.
Lord earned at least one point in the heptathlon and pentathlon at the SLC Championships during the final three seasons of her campaign. She also competed in the high jump, long jump, 100-meter hurdles, 60m hurdles, javelin, shot put and 200m.
Lord was a three-year member of the Dean’s List and concluded her senior year by being named to the President’s List, receiving USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. She was also a member of the NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Lord received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in psychology.
Article Courtesy of Nicholls State Sports Information Department.
