Nicole Ali, a member of Nebraska’s 1983 and 1984 indoor national championship teams, was the first Nebraska track and field athlete to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, as she was a second-team selection in 1985 and 1986. A native of Scarboro, Ontario, Canada, Ali was part of eight Big Eight Conference championships teams, a four-time All-American, eight-time Big Eight champion and four-year letterwinner for the Huskers as a middle distance runner from 1983-86. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
As a freshman in 1983, Ali earned her first All-America honor during the indoor season by running a leg on the 4x400-meter relay that placed second in Cedar Falls, Iowa. During outdoor season, she earned All-America status again, running a leg on the fourth-place 4x400 relay at the NCAA Championships. Prior to the national meet, Ali won her first Big Eight Conference titles, as she won the 400 meters and 400 hurdles in Stillwater, Okla.
Ali returned as sophomore in 1984 to run a leg of the 4x440 relay at the Big Eight Indoor Championships that ran 3:44.80 to win the title. She was also a member of the 4x400 relay at the won the outdoor conference title and then went on to earn her third All-America honor at the outdoor championships with a sixth-place finish in the 4x440 relay.
She moved to longer distances as a junior, sweeping the 880 yards and 800 meter titles at the Big Eight Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She added another Big Eight title during the indoor season as a member of the winning 4x880 relay.
Ali capped her senior season by capturing her fourth All-America honor during the indoor season with a fourth-place showing as a member of the 4x800 relay in Oklahoma City, Okla. During the outdoor season, Ali successfully defended her title in the 800 meters with a winning time of 2:06.83.
Ali graduted with a degree in business administration in 1985.