Jason Colwick

After finishing sixth at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships, Colwick improved to third place the following year at the USA Outdoor Nationals. Colwick jumped on to the national stage in a big way in 2009 by winning the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the men’s pole vault as a Rice University junior. Colwick became the first Rice University pole vaulter to win an NCAA title since Dave Roberts in 1973, and he is the school’s first NCAA champion since Ryan Harlan won the decathlon in 2004. Colwick, who in winning the 2009 NCAA Indoor crown became only the fourth Rice individual athlete ever to accomplish that feat.  After clearing the winning height at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Colwick moved the bar to 5.83m/19-1.5, which would've been a new NCAA meet record, but he missed on all three attempts. With his win in Austin, Tex., on April 4, 2009, Colwick lifted his personal best toe 5.72m/18-9.25, which is nearly seven inches higher than his best going into the 2009 season. For his efforts in 2009, Colwick was named the recipient of the 2008-2009 Conference USA Male Athlete of the Year award. A 2006 graduate of San Marcos High School, Colwick earned the district, regional, and Texas state titles in the pole vault during his senior year. He was also third in the state meet as a junior. Colwick is aided in his pole vault endeavors by an extensive background in gymnastics. An engineering and economics major while at Rice University.