ROLLING MEADOWS — Two school records in two meets have Rochelle Township High School track and field standout Andrew Nuyen off to a soaring start to his junior season. 

Returning from a stellar sophomore campaign where he won the Illinois Top Times Indoor State Championship and medaled in third at the IHSA State Championship, Nuyen set a new school record during the Windy City Pole Vault Summit on Saturday, when he cleared 16 feet and took second in a field of 16 elite high school athletes from around the state. It was the second record-setting vault of the young season for Nuyen, who cleared 15 feet 11 inches during the Auburn Indoor Invitational in late February, shattering his record from last year by 10 inches.

“It’s amazing and I’m happy that I’m consistently hitting 16 feet,” said Nuyen, who works out at RISE Pole Vault in Joliet over the offseason and owns a pole vault pit at his home in Creston. “I’m hoping for better things this season, too. I drive to Joliet three times a week and I work out there for two hours each day. Even at home, I’m doing things for mobility and stretching.”

Nuyen has set three school records in the pole vault since he burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. His first record came during the 2024 Ogle County Championship at RTHS, where he eclipsed 15 feet 1 inches to break a then 41-year-old record of 15 feet established by John Place in 1983. Nuyen, who won eight meets last season including the IHSA 2A Sycamore Sectional, continues to progress after improving his PR by over 6 feet from 2023 to 2024.

“I’d say it’s probably harder in the beginning because there are a lot of technical things and it’s not so much about strength,” Nuyen said. “At my level now, the only thing I can do is get faster and stronger, which takes a lot more time. Last year, I got a lot taller, stronger, faster and I think my speed had a major role... My goals over the offseason were primarily to get stronger and faster. There was a lot of technical work as well, but strength metrics were the main focus.”

Nuyen, who has already qualified for the ITT Indoor State Championship this season, will travel to Boston later this week and compete for the first time at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, where the junior will test his skills against the top high school pole vaulters in the country. Speed and strength have been core focuses for Nuyen, who said that exercises including 30-meter flys, sled pulls and Olympic lifting movements for explosiveness highlight his training routine.

“Speed plays the most major role in pole vaulting because the faster you are, the bigger the pole you can get on and the higher you can jump,” Nuyen said. “Strength also plays a big role, but it’s mostly about the lower body. This will be my first time at nationals so I’m just looking to have a good time… My biggest goals are to have fun, hit my cues and be consistent.”

Nuyen is among the top returning athletes who are back in action for the Rochelle Hub track and field team, which will continue its indoor season at the Byron Indoor Preview on Saturday before heading to Sycamore for the Gary Egler Invitational next Wednesday. While Nuyen said he’s keeping broad goals for this season, he said that reaching 17 feet is a realistic opportunity.

“I’m mainly focusing on hitting the positions I need to,” Nuyen said. “Our team looks great this year. We have a lot of good field event guys and we have some distance runners who’re doing pretty good this season. Our sprinters are doing the best they’ve ever done. As a team, I’m looking forward to our season.”