Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles isn’t your average athlete, therefore she has a shot of donning the red, white, and blue while competing for Team USA at the Olympics.
B. Nickles Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
In the wake of her stellar senior year at Merced High, the former standout was honoured as the Gatorade National Player of the Year. She went on to have an All-American career at UCLA.
After helping the United States win silver in Tokyo, the slugger is heading back home.
“Playing in the Olympics was such an incredible experience,” she said. “Just representing Merced was such a tremendous opportunity to show the younger generation that it doesn’t matter where you are from because you can go to the highest stage no matter where you’re from.”
Her parents, Ted and Natalie, remained behind to watch the games on TV instead of attending this year due to the COVID ban.
As the U.S. Olympic team progressed in the competition, the team’s management threw them and other Olympic families watch parties in Orlando, Florida.
Ted explained, “They arranged for us to stay at a resort, and that’s where I watched the rest of it with other softball moms.” “The mood was electric, and the excitement was palpable.”
Nickles, at only 23 years old, is the youngest member of Team USA and only the third Olympian to graduate from Merced High.
Last Words
Nickles began the second game against Canada and also played in the first game against Australia, when he went 1 for 1 with a walk.
She’s hoping her work will serve as an example for future generations.
“I hope that it truly does encourage some younger athletes and even just individuals from Merced and the Central Valley to shoot for the stars, to just go for it,” she added. “I can’t believe I got to do that!
The city of Merced and Merced High School are planning a celebration of Bubba and her Olympic run in the coming days, though no details have been finalised as of yet.
