Josh Nielsen

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Class: Junior Hometown: Forest Lake, Minn. High School: Home School

Height: 6-0 Event: 400m, 200m

SOPHOMORE (2012): Competed in the 400-meter dash during both the indoor and outdoor seasons...clocked an outdoor-best time of 49.19 at the Jack Christiansen Invitational...posted an indoor-best time of 50.67 at the Air Force Invitational...finished second in that distance at the Robert Shine Invitational (51.57)...also ran on the winning 4x400-meter relay (3:28.89) at that meet...also competed in the 200-meter dash (23.06, Air Force Team Challenge) and 1:07.49, Air Force Blue-Silver Open) during the indoor season...competed on sprint medley relay (3:38.38) and distance medley relay (10:31.02) that finished second at the Air Force Relays...academic all-conference selection...MW Scholar-Athlete.

FRESHMAN (2011): Did not compete.

HIGH SCHOOL: Home schooled...earned four varsity letters in track...served as team captain...placed fourth in the 400-meter dash at the state championships...three-time all-state and all-conference selection in that event...also lettered four years in cross country...champion of the Minnesota High School Lego Robotics competition...earned multiple all-conference academic honors...enrolled for two years at Anoka Ramsey Community College while in high school...member of the Youth Church Leadership Team.

PERSONAL: Full first name is Joshua, but goes by Josh...son of Mark and Pam Nielsen...mother competed in track at Concordia College in Minnesota...has one younger sister, Danielle...also has two younger brothers, Benjamin and Samuel...earning a double major in computer engineering and pre-med...future career plans include becoming a surgeon...would like to explore the emerging field of combining robotics with medicine ("if I am fortunate enough to get a brain surgeon position as an Air Force officer, I would like to explore how I can relate the signals coming from the brain to electronic components, possibly prosthetics")...ranked in the top-two percent of class...named to the Superintendent's List for excellence in military, academic and athletic performance...served as First Squadron...member of the Scholars' Program with a 3.85 GPA...selected to participate in research at Intel Corp., next summer...hobbies include computers, programming, reading, working as a middle school Lego robotics team mentor, board games and watching a good movie...spends free time programming computers and $35 Raspberry Pi...while in high school, taught computer programming and robotics classes to 9-14 year olds...both grandfathers served in the military...member of Cadet Squadron 05.