Fleetwood seeks NJCAA All-American honors for third time

Hagerstown, MD - May 13, 2019 by Andy Mason, Herald-Mail Media Sports

Micaela Fleetwood has become a master of juggling everything in her life.

Not only has the recent Hagerstown Community College graduate stood out in the classroom, she also has excelled in a sport that involves a little bit of everything.

This week, Fleetwood will represent the Hawks one final time as she competes in the women's heptathlon at the NJCAA Division I Track & Field Championships at New Mexico Junior College.

Her aim is to become a three-time NJCAA All-American with a top-eight finish. She placed seventh in the heptathlon at nationals last spring, then finished seventh again in the pentathlon at indoor nationals this year.

"I'm hoping to place well, of course, but this time I have the goal of a good score," said Fleetwood, whose personal record of 3,871 points came at last year's national meet. "If I bring all my PRs to the table and perform the best that I can, I should be fine."

Fleetwood, a 2016 North Hagerstown graduate, will compete in the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 dash on Thursday. She'll return Friday for the long jump, javelin and 800.

She's seeded eighth overall in the field of 14 athletes with the 3,831 points she scored April 11-12 at the Mount Multis at Mount St. Mary's, where she wasn't at her best.

"She had almost a disastrous hurdles, she almost fell, and her shot put was really mediocre," HCC coach Mike Spinnler said. "So to be seeded eighth after having two really bad events like that, she's fine. We really think she's ready to score 4,200 points. That will put her in the mix. We're hoping for top six."

The top six seeds have all scored more than 4,000 points this season.

The HCC heptathlon record is 4,406 points from Renata White's fifth-place finish at nationals in 2000.

At indoor nationals in March, Fleetwood scored a school-record 2,975 points in the pentathlon.

"I'd really like to get another school record," she said.

When it comes to the multi events, Fleetwood already stands alone at HCC.

"She's the first to make All-American more than once in a multi," Spinnler said. "We've had a number of people make it one time, because it takes a while to develop, and it's usually that one time when they're in their sophomore year. But here she is, trying to make it three times."

Fleetwood — who earned a degree in biology, as well as Academic All-American honors with her 3.79 GPA this semester — said she wants to continue competing at a four-year college.

"Right now, I'm planning on the University of Delaware, but I'm still keeping my options open. I'm going to California after nationals to look at a school (Simpson University in Redding)," she said. "I just want to see what I can do because I feel like I'm still pretty new at it compared to a lot of girls I compete against."