Nachelle Stewart Mackie (’13) set two goals for her last collegiate track season: qualify as an All-American and finish without regrets. “I didn’t want to leave BYU wondering if I could have done more,” she says.

Mackie left little undone. She became not only an All-American but also the 2012 national champion in both the indoor and outdoor 800-meter. In fact, she won every collegiate 800-meter run she raced in this year.

In the outdoor NCAA finals in June (left), Mackie nabbed the championship right from the gun, grabbing and holding an early lead. As her legs burned in the final stretch, she clung to her goal to finish strong. “In the last 100 meters I told myself, ‘Don’t lose this; this is your last race, give it all you have.’” Mackie pushed through the finish, clinching her title with a time of 2:01.06—her career best. | Photography by Joshua Duplechian/NCAA Photos