Diminutive middle-distance specialist Nicole Schappert was born and raised in sunny Delray Beach, FL. A 2005 graduate of Pope John Paul II High School, Schappert displayed great promise from a young age. A two-time Florida state champion, Schappert left high school with personal bests of 2:14.25 for 800m, 4:52.42 for 1600m, and 10:24.34 for 3200m.
Schappert began her collegiate career at Wake Forest University. This daughter of two great Villanova athletes, 1975 grads Kenny Schappert and Jane (Ackerman), transferred to Villanova in her junior year. Her first two seasons as a Wildcat in 2009 saw her knock eight seconds off her personal bests in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500m. She set herself up for a dream senior cross country campaign that year, serving as a great team motivator and leader during an undefeated season which culminated in a team NCAA Cross Country Championship and individual All-American Honors. She carried that success directly onto the indoor track in 2010, where she posted a personal best mile time of 4:35 that season, and recorded All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships at 3000m in a personal best time of 9:12. Her final outdoor campaign saw her nab runner-up finishes at both the Big East Championships and Penn Relays. She secured a personal best time of 2:07 for 800m outdoors and was named Big-East Scholar Athlete of the Year. Graduating with Magna Cum-Laude Honors in Marketing from Villanova University, Schappert has only begun to scratch the surface of what she can realize on the track. The sky is the limit for this high-achieving athlete.
