West Central Michigan News

Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics announced the passing of former gymnast and CMU Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Famer Nicole Bills, who succumbed to cancer on August 18.

Bills competed with CMU gymnastics from 1996 to 2000 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. In 1999, she became the first gymnast in CMU history to qualify for the NCAA Nationals. She was a two-time First Team All-Mid-American Conference honoree (1997, 1999) and earned Second Team All-MAC honors in 1998.

An all-around gymnast, Bills became a MAC champion on the balance beam in her junior year and earned silver medals at that year's MAC Championships in the all-around and floor exercise. She set the CMU balance beam record with a score of 9.925 in 2000; that score still ranks sixth in program history. As a freshman, she was the MAC runner-up on the balance beam.

Bills, originally from Bay City, helped CMU achieve its first NCAA Regional appearance in 1999 and subsequently earned invitations to NCAA Nationals and the World University Games. After earning her degree in business administration, she danced with the Charlotte Ladycats, the dance team for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, and worked for Bank of America for 17 years.

"Nicole will be forever remembered for her charismatic personality, her vibrant smile, and her loving and uplifting attitude," said CMU gymnastics coach Christine MacDonald. "Nicole was someone who set the bar for others."

"Her work ethic, perseverance, and leadership were present in everything she did. She was a person of high character and a pillar of strength for both her teammates and her family. Nicole left a lifelong impression on our CMU family and she will be forever missed."

Bills' obituary published by afterall.com stated: "Nicole lived a life filled with dedication to her family and community. Her greatest joy in life was being the devoted mother to her three sons, Oliver, Theodore, and Finnegan."

-CMU-