Sophomore Andrew Nuyen’s historic season with the Rochelle Hub track and field team culminated in his first-ever trip to the IHSA State Championships, where Nuyen took on the best pole vaulters from around the state and walked away with his first state medal.
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CHARLESTON — Sophomore Andrew Nuyen’s historic season with the Rochelle Hub track and field team culminated in his first-ever trip to the IHSA State Championships, where Nuyen took on the best pole vaulters from around the state and walked away with his first state medal.
Less than one month after setting a new school record in the pole vault, Nuyen easily qualified for the finals during the state meet, which was held at Eastern Illinois University this past Thursday through Saturday. One of only three underclassmen to reach the finals in Class 2A, Nuyen was one of the last four vaulters remaining as the bar approached the 15-foot mark.
The sophomore cleared 14 feet 7 ¼ inches and ultimately tied for third place in the event, earning him the first state medal of his high school career. Nuyen, who won the indoor state title at the 2024 Illinois Top Times meet at Illinois Wesleyan University earlier this season, was the only underclassman to clear 14 feet and take home a state medal in the Class 2A pole vault.
“It feels good,” Nuyen said. “I wish I could have done better, but I’m happy with how I placed and my competitors had more experience. Staying relaxed was the most important thing for me, but I’m usually pretty locked in once I clear that first bar. I felt honored to be there and see the best of the best compete. It was an amazing experience and since the top two finishers this year were seniors, I feel pretty good about my chances of winning next year. I thought this season was about on par with my expectations and I’m really happy with how much I improved.”
The state meet capped off a tremendous sophomore season for Nuyen, who won the pole vault at the IHSA 2A Sycamore Sectional with a clearance of 14 feet 8 ¼ inches and set a new school record of 15 feet 1 inches during the Ogle County Invitational. Nuyen was one of two Rochelle Hub track and field athletes competing in the state meet, as senior Landon Mickley qualified in both the shot put and the discus. Mickley finished 16th in the shot put and 20th in the discus.
