Tim Nelson (born February 27, 1984) is an American distance runner, who earned All-American honors at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

and represented the US in the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.

High school

Nelson hails from California where he attended

Liberty Christian Academy Liberty Christian Academy (LCA, founded as Lynchburg Christian Academy) is a private Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1967 by Baptist preacher Jerry Falwell Sr. as a ministry of Thomas Road Baptist Church and a segregation a ...

from which he graduated in 2003. He won three California State CIF cross country championships: * Year 2000, in a time of 15:31 (a Northern Section sophomore class record) * Year 2001, in a time of 15:35 * Year 2002, in a time of 15:39 Over the course of his high school career Nelson qualified for two Footlocker National Championship - in 2001 and 2002. Additionally, he won the 2002 State CIF 3200-meters title over defending champion Kyle Alcorn (Buchanan).

University of Wisconsin

Nelson went on to study and run at the University of Wisconsin where he made an immediate impact on the

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

team, placing high at both the conference and regional levels in his freshman year - he qualified for the NCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he placed 10th in the men's 10,000 meters. Nelson's success on the track was defined by outdoor All-American finishes in 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well as a

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

title in the 5000 meters in 2007. Additionally, in

cross country Cross country or cross-country may refer to: Places * Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland * Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY * Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...

, Nelson helped Wisconsin win an NCAA national team championship in 2006 with an 18th-place finish in 30:06, which earned him a position as the team's 6th man.

Nike

Upon graduation, Nelson ran professionally, sponsored by

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

and the Oregon TC Elite under the guidance his former coach at Wisconsin

Jerry Schumacher Jerry Schumacher is an American coach for the Oregon Ducks track and field, University of Oregon track and field and cross country program, specializing in distance running. He has coached Olympic silver medalist and the former American women's 10k ...

. His major professional highlights included qualifying for the 2009 World Track and Field Championships and defeating

Bernard Lagat Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974) is a Kenyan-American middle and long-distance runner. Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya. Prior to his change of domicile to the US, Lagat had an extensive competitive career representing his ...

at the

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 ...

Outdoor Championships to take the 5000 meter title in 2010. Nelson retired from the sport in 2013.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Tim 1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Madison, Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers men's track and field athletes Wisconsin Badgers men's cross country runners