Collegiate Men’s Indoor Athlete Of The Year — Chris Nilsen
March 20, 2020by T&FN
A week after Mondo Duplantis broke the World Record, Chris Nilsen took away the former LSU star’s CR and earned collegiate AOY status. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)
WHEN YOU BREAK a Mondo Duplantis record, that’s worthy of extra notice. And that’s just what Chris Nilsen did when he vaulted 19-5½ (5.93) to claim the CR. The South Dakota senior admitted he had good fortune on his record clearance, explaining, “I hit it a lot. It bounced a good amount and landed back on the pegs. It was one of those lucky ones where you hit it pretty hard with your chest as you’re coming down.”
Nilsen was one of three CR-setters during the indoor season, Honorable Mention status also going to Oregon’s James West (3:36.93 in the 1500) and Virginia Tech’s Jacory Patterson (32.28 in the 300). A tip of the hat also to Northern Arizona’s Tyler Day, who lowered the American CR in the 5000 to 13:16.95.
Previous Collegiate Men’s Indoor Athletes Of The Year
Chris Nilsen became the first senior to claim Indoor AOY status since Ryan Crouser in ’16. The three winners between them all turned pro early. This century’s No. 1s:
