DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University's Monae' Nichols has been tabbed Parade Grand Marshal for the 2024 Homecoming Parade of the Wildcats in Daytona Beach, Florida, taking place Saturday, Oct. 26, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Nichols, a native of Lakeland, Florida, recently competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, advancing to the finals of the Women's Long Jump. In the process, she became the first-ever Wildcat in school history to participate in the Women's Long Jump finals of the Summer Olympic Games.
 
Nichols competed for Bethune-Cookman from 2018-21, while she would finish her senior season at Texas Tech, with B-CU Athletics suspended for the duration of the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In her time as a Wildcat, Nichols competed in the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Nationals in the long jump, while also competing in the 2019 NCAA East Preliminaries in the 4x100. She was the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion in the long jump during the outdoor season and took home top honors in the MEAC during the 2018 indoor season as well, completing back-to-back individual titles across the campaign.
 
In addition to serving as the Parade Grand Marshal, Nichols will be an honorary captain at the football game versus Jackson State on Saturday, assisting with the coin toss at midfield prior to the game.
 
The role of grand marshal is an honor, and it is Bethune-Cookman University's way of showing appreciation for an individual's commitment to the university, service to others and the noteworthy impact they have on B-CU as a whole.
 
The parade is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m., and will run through the B-CU campus spreading out to the surrounding areas. The parade also will feature high school bands, dance teams, floats created by local organizations and B-CU and more.
 
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