Clute Named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year
6/14/2017 2:47:00 PM | Track and Field
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference announced today that senior pole vaulter Sydney Clute has been named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year.
"We could not be more proud of Sydney," head coach Ron Helmer said. "She has represented this University and this team with the upmost integrity. Sydney has been terrific, not just on the track but as a leader and role model. She cares about her team and those on it but never at the expense of making sure she is doing her part, not just leading but performing at the highest level."
During her career at Indiana University, Clute established herself as one of the most, if not the most, prolific pole vaulters in the history of the Big Ten Conference. After redshirting her indoor season, the Center Grove native wasted little time in establishing her season-long dominance. At the Big Ten v. Pac-12 Challenge in Tempe, Ariz. she cleared a final height of 4.55m (14-11), establishing a new school and conference record.
At the Big Ten Championships she, again, put on a show. As was the case in the previous two Big Ten Championship meets, Clute distanced herself from the field. She passed on the opening two heights, marks that would eliminate half of the field, before easily clearing her opening height of 4.03m (13-2.5). She would pass at the next height, before eventually moving the bar to 4.43m (14-6.25), just one centimeter above the previous Big Ten Championship meet record height. She cleared on her second attempt, breaking the record she had established just last season.
She closed out her IU career by claiming fourth place at the NCAA Championships, earning her third First-Team All-America distinction. She joined Vera Neuenswander as the only women's vaulters in program history to achieve First-Team All-America honors three times.
Clute is one of four Hoosier women to have been named Big Ten Athlete of the Year during their careers. Danielle Cruthers (2002) and Rachelle Boone (2003) earned the award before it was separated between track and field athletes. Faith Sherrill (2011) was the most recent winner of the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Clute will be on the track in a couple of weeks at the USATF Outdoor Championships. She will vault against the best competition the United States has to offer on the campus of Sacramento State in California. The meet runs from June 22-25.
#GoIU
"We could not be more proud of Sydney," head coach Ron Helmer said. "She has represented this University and this team with the upmost integrity. Sydney has been terrific, not just on the track but as a leader and role model. She cares about her team and those on it but never at the expense of making sure she is doing her part, not just leading but performing at the highest level."
During her career at Indiana University, Clute established herself as one of the most, if not the most, prolific pole vaulters in the history of the Big Ten Conference. After redshirting her indoor season, the Center Grove native wasted little time in establishing her season-long dominance. At the Big Ten v. Pac-12 Challenge in Tempe, Ariz. she cleared a final height of 4.55m (14-11), establishing a new school and conference record.
At the Big Ten Championships she, again, put on a show. As was the case in the previous two Big Ten Championship meets, Clute distanced herself from the field. She passed on the opening two heights, marks that would eliminate half of the field, before easily clearing her opening height of 4.03m (13-2.5). She would pass at the next height, before eventually moving the bar to 4.43m (14-6.25), just one centimeter above the previous Big Ten Championship meet record height. She cleared on her second attempt, breaking the record she had established just last season.
She closed out her IU career by claiming fourth place at the NCAA Championships, earning her third First-Team All-America distinction. She joined Vera Neuenswander as the only women's vaulters in program history to achieve First-Team All-America honors three times.
Clute is one of four Hoosier women to have been named Big Ten Athlete of the Year during their careers. Danielle Cruthers (2002) and Rachelle Boone (2003) earned the award before it was separated between track and field athletes. Faith Sherrill (2011) was the most recent winner of the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year honors.
Clute will be on the track in a couple of weeks at the USATF Outdoor Championships. She will vault against the best competition the United States has to offer on the campus of Sacramento State in California. The meet runs from June 22-25.
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
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