Jimmy Rhoads, a senior pole vaulter for the Washington Huskies, was named the Big Ten Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week on Apr. 8 after winning the Texas Relays title and setting a new University of Washington outdoor school record.
Rhoads’s achievement highlights his strong first year at UW following four years at Penn. His performance has drawn attention as he continues to break records both indoors and outdoors during his final collegiate season.
Earlier this season, Rhoads set the UW indoor record with a vault of 19-1 and placed third at last month’s NCAA Indoor Championships. He was previously recognized twice as Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week for his indoor performances. At Saturday’s Texas Relays in Austin, he cleared 18-10 1/4, surpassing Scott Toney’s previous outdoor mark of 18-9 1/2 from last year. This result currently ranks him second in the NCAA early in the outdoor season.
The Huskies will not compete this weekend but are preparing for major meets at both the Mt. SAC Relays and Bryan Clay Invitational scheduled from April 15 to April 18.
Other honorees for Big Ten weekly track and field awards on Apr. 8 include Simeon Birnbaum (Oregon) and Ajani Dwyer (Penn State) for track events, while Ben Smith (Oregon) was recognized as freshman athlete of the week.
