Mullins honored at UNH Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony

DURHAM, NH -- Nicole Mullins, a native of Dixfield, was honored recently at the Univ. of New Hampshire's Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony.

A graduate of 1994, she worked her way from walk-on status as a freshman to becoming one of the most decorated gymnasts in Univ. of New Hampshire history by the conclusion of her senior year.

Mullins led the Wildcat gymnastics team to the 1994 ECAC Championship, the university’s one and only NCAA Regional Championship and a school record No. 12 national ranking.

During that memorable senior season, Mullins was named the ECAC Gymnast of the Year and took home the ECAC individual championships in all-around, uneven bars and balance beam. She was named ECAC All-Conference in all three of those events and was tabbed to the NCAA All-Northeast Team after winning the AA Regional Title.

As a junior, Nicole was the ECAC champion in all-around and uneven bars, was an NIT All-America First Team member on bars and floor and a Second Team honoree in AA. She was additionally honored as the ECAC Academic Gymnast of the Year, the Wildcats’ team MVP and went on to earn All-Northeast recognition in all-around and on beam.

During her sophomore season in 1992, Mullins became just the third student-athlete in UNH history to qualify for the NCAA championship after capturing the bars crown at the Northeast Regional. She collected UNH’s Most Improved and Most Inspirational awards.

Nicole walked on to the UNH gymnastics program as a freshman and earned a full scholarship after a stellar rookie season. She was the gymnastics team’s first-ever, four-time NACGC/W Scholastic All-American, was a two-time UNH Academic Athletic Achievement recipient (1993-94) and was feted as a Wildcat Winner’s Circle Scholar-Athlete in 1993.

Nicole went on to earn her PhD at Kent State University. She is now associate professor of human development and exercise science at the Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH.