Following another historic performance in the men’s pole vault at Texas Relays, South Dakota’s Chris Nilsen was named The Summit League’s Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week Tuesday.
South Dakota State’s Rachel King earned the recognition on the women’s side for her record-breaking run in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the Stanford Invitational.
Nilsen continues to solidify his stance as one of the greatest pole vaulters in NCAA history after rocking the track & field world last Saturday in Austin. The sophomore from Kansas City, Mo., motored past the competition and nearly posted a spotless scorecard en route to clearing the bar at 19’ 0.25” (5.80m) on his very first attempt. The three-time All-American missed on his next three attempts at 19’ 2.25” (5.85m), but still locked up the individual event title and broke the school’s outdoor record in the process.
South Dakota State’s King also shattered a school record of her own last weekend, with hers coming in the 3000m steeplechase event on Cobb Track in Stanford, Calif. The junior from St. Michael, Minn., bested the old program record—which she set at this very meet last year—by 9.57 seconds and clocked in with a 10:01.14 time. King placed fifth overall in the race, but currently ranks fifth in the entire NCAA and 21st in the world following that run.
