Nevada High School Wall of Fame welcomes new inductees

The Nevada High School is about to induct two new members to its Wall of Fame.

Jack Nelson is a Nevada High School graduate from the class of 1957. While in high school at Nevada, Nelson was a two-time state competitor in the one-mile run with a Missouri state title in 1957, as well as taking second in Cross Country and the one-mile run in 1956.

After high school, Nelson went on to continue his career as a runner at Arkansas University and became the Southwest Conference Cross Country Champion in 1960 and two-mile champion in 1961. Nelson's career as a road runner didn't end there, as he went on to set several post-collegiate records as well.

After he graduated from Arkansas, Nelson went on to set two age-group American records in road running in 1999 and was the holder of 11 single-age American records from 1999-2001. On his way to a No.1 ranking in the nation for age-group road running by Running Times Magazine in 1999, 2000 and 2001, Nelson won the USA Track and Field Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award for age-group running in all three of those years.

The late Bob Nicodemus is a Nevada High School graduate from the class of 1965. At Nevada, Nicodemus was a co-captain of the varsity football team and was recognized as an All-Conference running back by the Big 10 conference.

After his career in Nevada, Nicodemus went on to become a four-year starter for the University of Missouri-Rolla where he was named the 1967 Outstanding Back of the Year. He was a 1968 co-captain and earned All-MIAA honors twice in his career.

Nicodemus was also a member of the National Honor Society and graduated third in his class while playing three sports for most of his high school life.

Nicodemus was also the recipient of the Gale Bullman Athlete of the Year Award and the Allen P. Green Award for outstanding engineering student his senior year. He maintained a 3.96 GPA to stay at the top of the Dean's List throughout his college career and holds the UMR record for career carries at 374.

The Nevada High School would like to congratulate both of this year's inductees and a reception is planned in the High School Commons at 5:30 p.m., to honor both Nelson and Nicodemus before the induction ceremony takes place during pregame ceremonies at Logan field before the Nevada-McDonald County varsity football game Friday night.

Editor's note: Larry Testman is also scheduled to be among those inducted into the Nevada High School Wall of Fame this year. His induction ceremony is slated to take place during pregame ceremonies at the Nevada-Carl Junction game at Logan Field on Oct. 17.