Top-Ranked Rhoads Wins Big Ten Athlete Of The Week
December 17, 2025 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – One meet into his Husky career and pole vaulter James Rhoads is the NCAA leader and now the Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Week. Rhoads won the Spokane Invitational last Saturday with a career-best clearance of 5.71-meters. It's the first B1G weekly award for the Dawgs this season.
The former Penn All-American from Baltimore, Ohio soared over 18-feet, 8.75-inches at The Podium in Spokane in his 2025-26 season debut, putting him up to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings early in this season. That's a mark that has never not qualified for NCAA Indoors, which are down the road in March.
Rhoads also went to No. 3 in UW indoor history, trailing only a pair of Husky national champions in Brad Walker and Scott Roth.
2025-26 Men's Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Dec. 10
Track: Simeon Birnbaum, ORE
Field: Collin Burkhart, PSU
Freshman: Henry Risser, WIS
Dec. 17
Track: Blake Nyenati, IOWA
Field: James Rhoads, WASH
Freshman: Jordan Gross, IOWA
The former Penn All-American from Baltimore, Ohio soared over 18-feet, 8.75-inches at The Podium in Spokane in his 2025-26 season debut, putting him up to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings early in this season. That's a mark that has never not qualified for NCAA Indoors, which are down the road in March.
Rhoads also went to No. 3 in UW indoor history, trailing only a pair of Husky national champions in Brad Walker and Scott Roth.
2025-26 Men's Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Dec. 10
Track: Simeon Birnbaum, ORE
Field: Collin Burkhart, PSU
Freshman: Henry Risser, WIS
Dec. 17
Track: Blake Nyenati, IOWA
Field: James Rhoads, WASH
Freshman: Jordan Gross, IOWA
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