2018-19 Women's Track & Field Roster

Niki Cleary

  • Academic Year Senior
  • Position Sprints/Jumps
  • Hometown Flemington, N.J.
  • Highschool Hunterdon Central Regional

Biography

CAREER COLLEGIATE RESULTS

Six-time BIG EAST scorer in the multi-events, including earning All-BIG EAST honors in the heptathlon outdoors as a junior in 2018 ... Ended her collegiate career ranked seventh in school history in the heptathlon ... Outstanding athlete who made significant contributions to the team both indoors and outdoors, and showed terrific progress during the course of her career.
 
PERSONAL BESTS
Pentathlon 3,065 Points BIG EAST Championships (2.23.2018)
Heptathlon 4,170 Points BIG EAST Championships (5.11.2019)
60 Meters 8.19 Columbia Challenge (1.26.2018)
60 Meter Hurdles 9.83 BIG EAST Championships (2.23.2018)
100 Meter Hurdles 16.26 BIG EAST Championships (5.10.2019)
200 Meters 25.89 BIG EAST Championships (5.12.2017)
300 Meters 42.55 Jack Pyrah Invitational (12.3.2016)
400 Meters 57.67 High School
800 Meters 2:24.19 BIG EAST Championships (5.12.2018)
High Jump 1.46 Meters BIG EAST Championships (2.26.2016)
Pole Vault 3.05 Meters High School
Long Jump 5.37 Meters High School
Shot Put 10.59 Meters BIG EAST Championships (2.23.2018)
Javelin 28.40 Meters Bobbi Palma UAlbany Spring Classic (4.19.2019)

HONORS AND AWARDS

2018 OUTDOOR
All-BIG EAST Heptathlon

ACADEMIC HONORS

BIG EAST All-Academic Team 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
Athletic Director's Honor Roll 2016-17: Fall, Spring; 2017-18: Fall, Spring; 2018-19: Fall, Spring

BIG EAST RESULTS

2019 OUTDOOR (NEW YORK, N.Y. | ICAHN STADIUM)
Date Event Mark Place
May 10 Heptathlon - 100 Meter Hurdles 16.26 7th
May 10 Heptathlon - High Jump 1.43m 9th
May 10 Heptathlon - Shot Put 9.93m 5th
May 10 Heptathlon - 200 Meters 26.42 4th
May 11 Heptathlon - Long Jump 4.95m 3rd
May 11 Heptathlon - Javelin 25.57m 7th
May 11 Heptathlon - 800 Meters 2:28.02 3rd
May 11 Heptathlon 4,170 Points 7th
2018 OUTDOOR (GENEVA, OHIO | SPIRE INSTITUTE)
Date Event Mark Place
May 11 Heptathlon - 100 Meter Hurdles 16.27 5th
May 11 Heptathlon - High Jump 1.37m 7th (tie)
May 11 Heptathlon - Shot Put 9.16m 4th
May 11 Heptathlon - 200 Meters 25.92 1st
May 12 Heptathlon - Long Jump 5.10m 3rd
May 12 Heptathlon - Javelin 20.71m 6th
May 12 Heptathlon - 800 Meters 2:24.19 2nd
May 12 Heptathlon 4,098 Points 3rd
2018 INDOOR (STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. | OCEAN BREEZE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX)
Date Event Mark Place
February 23 Pentathlon - 60 Meter Hurdles 9.83 5th
February 23 Pentathlon - Long Jump 5.07m 4th
February 23 Pentathlon - Shot Put 10.59m 4th
February 23 Pentathlon - High Jump 1.34m 8th (tie)
February 23 Pentathlon - 800 Meters 2:27.41 2nd
February 23 Pentathlon 3,065 Points 5th
2017 OUTDOOR (VILLANOVA, PA. | VILLANOVA STADIUM)
Date Event Mark Place
May 12 Heptathlon - 100 Meter Hurdles 17.33 8th
May 12 Heptathlon - High Jump 1.32m 8th
May 12 Heptathlon - Shot Put 9.28m 4th
May 12 Heptathlon - 200 Meters 25.89 2nd
May 13 Heptathlon - Long Jump 5.10m 3rd
May 13 Heptathlon - Javelin 23.71m 4th
May 13 Heptathlon - 800 Meters 2:30.22 3rd
May 13 Heptathlon 3,913 Points 4th
2017 INDOOR (STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. | OCEAN BREEZE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX)
Date Event Mark Place
February 24 Long Jump 4.76m 13th
February 24 Pentathlon - 60 Meter Hurdles 10.07 8th
February 24 Pentathlon - Long Jump 5.10m 4th (tie)
February 24 Pentathlon - Shot Put 9.46m 4th
February 24 Pentathlon - High Jump 1.36m 13th
February 24 Pentathlon - 800 Meters 2:32.23 4th
February 24 Pentathlon 2,915 Points 8th
2016 OUTDOOR (GENEVA, OHIO | SPIRE INSTITUTE)
May 13 Long Jump 4.96m 9th
May 13 Heptathlon - 100 Meter Hurdles 17.55 9th
May 13 Heptathlon - Shot Put 9.17m 5th
May 13 Heptathlon - 200 Meters 27.06 5th
May 14 Heptathlon - Long Jump 4.72m 8th
May 14 Heptathlon - Javelin 25.26m 5th
May 14 Heptathlon - 800 Meters 2:39.83 4th
May 14 Heptathlon 3,165 Points 10th
2016 INDOOR (STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. | OCEAN BREEZE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX)
Date Event Mark Place
February 26 Long Jump 4.39m 14th
February 26 Pentathlon - 60 Meter Hurdles 10.23 9th
February 26 Pentathlon - Long Jump 4.85m 4th
February 26 Pentathlon - Shot Put 8.07m 10th
February 26 Pentathlon - High Jump 1.46m 4th (tie)
February 26 Pentathlon - 800 Meters 2:51.39 10th
February 26 Pentathlon 2,619 Points 8th

INDOOR

2019: Competed at five meets during the year; Wesley A. Brown Invitational (1/12): Came in ninth in teh high jump with a height of 1.40 meters at the first meet of the season; Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge (1/24): Recorded a score of 2,958 points in the pentathlon and finished 14th in a competition of more than 20 athletes ... Her best event was the long jump, in which she recorded a mark of 5.09 meters and ranked eighth in the field ... Was also ninth in the 800 meters in 2:34.26 and 10th in the shot put with a throw of 9.74 meters ... Her other marks were a time of 10.01 in the 60 meter hurdles and a height of 1.40 meters in the high jump; Villanova Invitational (2/2): Competed in the 60 meter hurdles and recorded a time of 9.97 at the Wildcats home meet; FastTrack National Invite (2/8): Recorded a mark of 4.98 meters in the long jump; BIG EAST Championships (2/22): Completed the first four events of the pentathlon at the conference meet ... Posted a time of 9.92 in the 60 meter hurdles, marks of 1.42 meters in the high jump and 4.93 meters in the long jump, as well as a throw of 9.09 meters in the shot put.

2018: Scored in the pentathlon at the BIG EAST Championships with a fifth place finish and a personal best score ... Tallied personal best marks in the 60 meter hurdles and the shot put during the BIG EAST meet and also registered a personal best time in the 60 meters earlier in the season ... Competed at a total of six meets during the indoor campaign; Jack Pyrah Invitational (12/2): Opened the season by recording a mark of 4.72 meters in the long jump; Penn 8-Team Select (1/20): Ran the 200 meters in 26.52 and had a mark of 4.79 meters in the long jump; Columbia Challenge (1/26): Ran the 60 meters in a personal best time of 8.19 in the preliminary heats of the event and also had a time of 27 seconds flat in the 200 meters; Villanova Invitational (2/3): Came in 13th in the long jump (4.86m) and 21st in the 200 meters (26.54) at the Wildcats home meet; FastTrack National Invite (2/9): Registered a mark of 4.69 meters in the invitational section of the long jump; BIG EAST Championships (2/23): Contributed to the Wildcats team title at the conference championships with a fifth place finish in the pentathlon ... Tallied a career best score of 3,065 points which put her 10th on the all-time Villanova performance list in the pentathlon ... Had a time of 9.83 in the 60 meter hurdles, a mark of 5.07 meters in the long jump, a throw of 10.59 meters in the shot put, a height of 1.34 meters in the high jump and a time of 2:27.41 in the 800 meters ... Her time in the 60 meter hurdles and throw in the shot put were new personal bests ... Came in second in the field of pentathlon competitors in the 800 meters ... Was fourth in both the long jump and the shot put.

2017: Appeared at eight meets during the season and scored in the pentathlon at the BIG EAST Championships ... Completed two pentathlons during the season and participated both in the multi event and in the individual long jump at the conference meet; Jack Pyrah Invitational (12/3): Recorded times of 10.26 in the 60 meter hurdles and 42.55 in the 300 meters in addition to recording a mark of 5.10 meters in the long jump in a strong start to the indoor campaign ... Came in sixth in the long jump, eighth in the 300 meters and 13th in the hurdles; Fast Times Before Finals Meet (12/9): Competed in the pentathlon and had a score of 2,793 points ... Her marks included times of 10.29 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2:44.06 in the 800 meters, a height of 1.35 meters in the high jump and a distance of 5.35 meters in the long jump, as well as a throw of 9.39 meters in the shot put ... Came in second in the field of pentathlon competitors in the long jump with her top mark of the season and placed fifth overall in the pentathlon; Nittany Lion Challenge (1/14): Came in 11th in the long jump with a mark of 5.18 meters; Gotham Cup (1/20): Posted a time of 26.70 in the 200 meters and a mark of 4.85 meters in the long jump; Villanova Open (1/27): Tallied times of 9.98 in the preliminary heats of the 60 meter hurdles and 26.57 in the 200 meters; Villanova Invitational (2/4): Posted a mark of 5.01 meters in the long jump at the Wildcats second home meet; FastTrack National Invitational (2/10): Competed in the preliminary heats of the 60 meter hurdles and registered a time of 10.52; BIG EAST Championships (2/24): Placed eighth in the pentathlon with a score of 2,915 points and 13th in the individual long jump with a mark of 4.76 meters ... Had times of 10.07 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2:32.23 in the 800 meters during the pentathlon competition ... Also had a height of 1.36 meters in the high jump, a mark of 5.10 meters in the long jump and threw for 9.46 meters in the shot put.

2016: Competed in the pentathlon and the individual long jump at the BIG EAST Championships ... Appeared at seven meets during her first collegiate indoor season; Jack Pyrah Invitational (12/5): Made her collegiate debut by placing sixth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 10.34 and ninth in the 300 meters with a time of 44.02; Villanova Open (1/8): Recorded times of 10.49 in the preliminary heats of the 60 meter hurdles and 27.66 in the 200 meters in addition to tallying a mark of 4.83 meters in the long jump; Great Dane Classic (1/16): Competed in the preliminary heats of the 60 meter hurdles and registered a time of 10.58; Covert Classic (1/30): Registered a time of 10.29 in the 60 meter hurdles in a meet at Lehigh; Villanova Invitational (2/6): Posted a time of 27.53 in the 200 meters and a mark of 4.81 meters in the long jump; FastTrack National Invitational (2/12): Registered a mark of 4.99 meters in the college section of the long jump and tallied a 13th place finish; BIG EAST Championships (2/26): Scored a team point in the pentathlon with an eighth place finish and also came in 14th in the individual long jump at the conference meet ... Scored 2,619 points in the pentathlon ... Ranked fourth in the field of competitors with a mark of 4.85 meters in the long jump and also tied for fourth in the high jump with a personal best height of 1.46 meters ... Her other pentathlon marks included times of 10.23 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2:51.39 in the 800 meters, as well as a throw of 8.07 meters in the shot put ... The time in the 60 meter hurdles was a then-personal best mark ... Registered a distance of 4.39 meters in the individual long jump at the meet.

OUTDOOR

2019: Competed at four meets and completed two heptathlons during the outdoor season ... Improved her career-high score in the heptathlon in each of those competitions and scored in the event at the BIG EAST Championships ... Tallied personal best marks in both the 100 meter hurdles and the javelin; Penn Challenge (3/23): Recorded a throw of 9.58 meters in the shot put in the outdoor season opener; Mason Spring Invitational (4/13): Competed in three events at George Mason in preparation for upcoming heptathlon competitions ... Posted times of 16.93 in the 100 meter hurdles and 26.38 in the 200 meters while also recording a long jump of 4.96 meters; Bobbi Palma UAlbany Spring Classic (4/18-4/19): Placed sixth in the heptathlon and scored a then-personal best 4,106 points at Albany ... Her javelin throw of 28.40 meters during the competition set a new personal best and ranked third among the field of competitors ... Was second in the field with times of 26.23 in the 200 meters and 2:31.54 in the 800 meters ... Began the heptathlon competition with a time of 16.87 in the 100 meter hurdles ... Her other marks included a height of 1.40 meters in the high jump, a shot put throw of 9.79 meters and a long jump of 5.04 meters; BIG EAST Championships (5/10-5/11): Increased her personal best score in the heptathlon to 4,170 points and finished seventh at the conference meet ... Scored two team points to contribute to the Wildcats winning the BIG EAST title and completing their second straight conference "triple crown" with championships in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field ... Began the competition by recording a personal best time of 16.26 in the 100 meter hurdles ... Ranked third among the heptathlon competitors with a time of 2:28.02 in the 800 meters and with a long jump of 4.95 meters ... Her other marks included clearing a height of 1.43 meters in the high jump, a shot put throw of 9.93 meters, a time of 26.42 in the 200 meters and a javelin throw of 25.57 meters.

2018: Earned her first career All-BIG EAST honors with a third place finish in the heptathlon ... Tallied a personal best high score in the heptathlon as well as personal best times in both the 100 meter hurdles and the 800 meters during the conference meet ... Competed at a total of five meets during the season; Penn Challenge (3/24): Opened the season by competing in the shot put and throwing for a distance of 9.52 meters; Colonial Relays (4/6): Recorded a time of 26.08 in the 200 meters and a mark of 4.94 meters in the long jump; Temple Owls Invite (4/13): Came in sixth in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.98 and also placed 11th in the 200 meters with a time of 26.37; Lions Invitational (4/28): Competed in three events at the meet ... Ran the 100 meter hurdles in 17.29, cleared a height of 1.35 meters in the high jump and threw the shot put for a distance of 8.99 meters; BIG EAST Championships (5/11-5/12): Scored points towards the team's BIG EAST title at the conference meet with a third place finish in the heptathlon ... The finish was the highest of her career at the BIG EAST meet either indoors or outdoors and earned her All-BIG EAST recognition in the heptathlon ... Scored a personal best 4,098 points in addition to posting personal best times of 16.27 in the 100 meter hurdles and 2:24.19 in the 800 meters during the heptathlon competition ... Had the second-fastest time among the heptathlon competitors in the 800 meters and led the field with a time of 25.92 in the 200 meters ... Her other marks included a height of 1.37 meters in the high jump, a mark of 9.16 meters in the shot put, a distance of 20.71 meters in the javelin and a mark of 5.10 meters in the long jump ... Her score of 4,098 points in the heptathlon moved her up one spot into fifth place on the Wildcats all-time performance list.

2017: Competed at six meets during the season and scored in the heptathlon at the BIG EAST Championships ... Recorded personal best times in all three of the running events that are part of the heptathlon; Penn Challenge (3/25): Competed in three events at the first meet of the outdoor campaign ... Registered times of 18.43 in the 100 meter hurdles and 26.79 in the 200 meters, while also placing ninth in the long jump with a mark of 4.94 meters; Colonial Relays (3/31): Recorded a time of 26.50 in the 200 meters; Sam Howell Invitational (4/8): Placed 12th in the 200 meters with a time of 26.28 and 16th in the long jump with a distance of 4.93 meters; Haverford Invitational (4/26): Runner-up in the javelin with a throw of 24.97 meters; Lions Invitational (4/29): Cleared the bar at a height of 1.40 meters in the high jump and came in eighth in the long jump with a season-best mark of 5.13 meters; BIG EAST Championships (5/12-5/13): Came in fourth in the heptathlon with a score of 3,913 points ... That was her highest career score at the time of the meet and she also registered then-personal best times in all three of the running events that are part of the heptathlon ... Those times were 17.33 in the 100 meter hurdles, 25.89 in the 200 meters and 2:30.22 in the 800 meters ... Had the second-fastest time in the field of competitors in the 200 meters and was third in both the 800 meters and the long jump (5.10m) ... During the heptathlon competition also threw for distances of 9.28 meters in the shot put and 23.71 meters in the javelin ... Cleared a height of 1.32 meters in the high jump.

2016: Completed two heptathlons during the season and appeared at a total of five meets during the year ... Competed in both the heptathlon and the individual long jump at the BIG EAST Championships; Penn Challenge (3/26): Threw for a distance of 18.41 meters in the javelin and recorded a long jump of 4.92 meters in the first meet of the outdoor season; Colonial Relays (4/1): Registered a time of 18.26 in the preliminary heats of the 100 meter hurdles and also posted a time of 26.60 in the 200 meters; Princeton Outdoor Invite (4/14-4/15): Completed her first collegiate heptathlon with a score of 3,334 points and finished ninth at the meet ... Opened the heptathlon on the first day of the meet with a time of 21.62 in the 100 meter hurdles, a height of 1.42 meters in the high jump, a mark of 9.22 meters in the shot put and a time of 27.26 in the 200 meters ... On the second day of the competition registered a long jump of 4.7 meters, threw for 23.34 meters in the javelin and posted a time of 2:36.01 in the 800 meters; Lions Invitational (4/30): Posted times of 17.59 in the 100 meter hurdles and 26.96 in the 200 meters while also producing a mark of 4.92 meters in the long jump; BIG EAST Championships (5/13-5/14): Scored 3,165 points for a 10th place finish in the heptathlon and also placed ninth in the individual long jump with a mark of 4.96 meters ... Was fourth in the field of heptathlon competitors with a time of 2:39.83 in the 800 meters, as well as fifth in the 200 meters (27.08), the shot put (9.17 meters) and the javelin (personal best throw of 25.26 meters) ... Her other marks included a time of 17.55 in the 100 meter hurdles and a mark of 4.72 meters in the long jump.

BEFORE VILLANOVA

Hunterdon Central Regional High School: Earned a total of seven varsity letters, including four during the outdoor track & field season and three for the indoor season ... Competed in the sprints, jumps and hurdles for indoor and outdoor teams that were the Group IV New Jersey State Championship runner-up her senior year ... The team also won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex county title both indoors and outdoors, as well as the Group IV Central New Jersey sectional crown ... Part of a 4x400 meter relay squad that won the Group IV Central New Jersey sectional title her senior year ... Competed in four events at the state championships meet as a junior ... Earned first team All-Skyland Conference honors in the 4x400 meter relay as a sophomore ... Also participated in club gymnastics and club soccer ... Competed for Gymnastics Unlimited for six years and was a state qualifier every year, including placing at the state meet in four of the six years she competed ... Played 10 years of club soccer for Greater Flemington Soccer Club ... Helped lead her team to the New Jersey Flight 2 state title in 2010 and multiple other tournament titles ... Inducted to the Spanish National Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

Personal: Born 2/27/97 in Edison, N.J. ... Younger of two daughters of Brian and Denise Cleary ... Has an older sister, Samantha, who competed in the pole vault at UNCW from 2011-15 ... Hobbies include gymnastics, playing soccer and trap shooting ... Chose to attend Villanova for the appeal of being pushed to do her best both academically and in athletic competition ... Environmental Studies major with minors in Public Administration and Sustainability.

Historical Player Information

  • 2015-16Freshman

    Sprints/Jumps
  • 2016-17Sophomore

    Sprints/Jumps
  • 2017-18Junior

    Sprints/Jumps
  • 2018-19Senior

    Sprints/Jumps