Chris Nilsen


Chris Nilsen is an American athlete specialising in pole vault and high jump.

High school

Nilsen graduated from Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri. Nilsen was raised in hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. Nilsen set the United States high school record in the pole vault at the Missouri Class 5 sectional meet with a clearance of 18-4 3/4.
Nilsen won 2016 Kansas Relays pole vault.

NCAA

Nilsen attends University of South Dakota.
Nilsen is a 6-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American, and a 3 time NCAA Track and field Pole vault champion. Nilsen holds South Dakota Coyotes school records in the Pole vault indoor and outdoor.
Nilsen set American & NACAC outdoor pole vault U-20 record and American & NACAC indoor pole vault U-20 record.
Nilsen honored as 2017 Summit League Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and 2017 Summit League Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Nilsen honored on the Bowerman Watch List throughout the 2017 outdoor season.
Nilsen won 2018 Texas Relays clearing, later battled Sam Kendricks at 2018 Drake Relays where he cleared and described the competition in Des Moines, Iowa to Sioux City Journal.
Nilsen placed second at 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships and won the pole vault title in a NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships meet record at 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Nilsen won Summit League student-athlete of the week honors for the 9th time in 2019. South Dakota’s Chris Nilsen captured the men’s most outstanding performer of the championship accolade after capturing his third consecutive league pole vault title with a meet record vault of 19-0.75.

Professional

Nilsen began competing for South Dakota Coyotes and in Vermillion, South Dakota under coach Derek Miles in Fall 2016.
In London at 2017 World Championships in Athletics, Nilsen cleared in the Pole Vault to place 13th.
YearUS National ChampionshipEventVenuePlaceTime
20182018 USA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsPole vaultDrake Stadium 2nd
20172017 USA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsPole vaultHornet Stadium 3rd
2016USA Olympic Trials Track and Field ChampionshipsPole vaultHayward Field
Eugene, Oregon		T-18thNH @