LOGAN, Utah – Sam Nelson has cemented his legacy as one of the best pole vaulters in Utah State history.
 
The native of Boise, Idaho, is a two-time Mountain West champion in the event and holds top-10 marks in school history in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
"It feels great to have written my name in Aggie history," Nelson said. "The feeling of being a conference champion is indescribable, however the path to get there. The hard work and lessons I learned from adversity will have a much longer lasting impact on me."
 
Nelson, who walked on during the 2012-13 campaign, redshirted the 2020 indoor track & field season and was primed to finish his career during the outdoor season. However, that chance never came as the season was canceled due to the novel coronavirus.
 
"I don't know if I was able to really process everything at first," Nelson admitted. "It was hard to believe that just like that a career could be over. I was so ready for big things this year – big goals such as breaking the school record, going to nationals, becoming an All-American. I put so much work and effort into those goals, even down to deciding not to ski, play basketball, wakeboard and other sports, that could potentially hurt my progress toward those goals.
 
"It makes you feel like you did it all for nothing. However, that is not true one bit. It's like everything you do in life, you need to set goals and then make decisions daily that will lead to you getting those goals. Sometimes, things like this happen, so you just need to adjust and set new goals. I guess this is all just great life practice."
 
Utah State multi-events/jumps coach Erik Rasmussen was equally devasted for Nelson.
 
"I am so disappointed for Sam," he said. "He has worked his tail off for so many years, through coaching changes and multiple injuries. The hardest part was that he was ready to have his best season. He really wanted to break the school record and we both believed he could do it this season. That would also have put him in contention for a spot as an All-American. For him to lose those opportunities is heartbreaking."
 
Not being able to compete in 2020, Nelson's final athletic moment for the Aggies was at the 2019 Mountain West Indoor Championships, where he earned first-team all-league honors in the pole vault after placing third in the event with a mark of 5.10 meters (16-8.75).
"Sam has been the captain of the jumps/multis group for three consecutive years," Rasmussen said. "His experiences as an athlete allowed him to share valuable insight when others were struggling with performance, injury and how to be successful. He has also been a great inspiration to those athletes who decided to come to USU as walk-ons. Sam himself was a walk-on and managed to win two conference championships, earning him a scholarship."
 
Earlier during the 2019 season, he placed first in the pole vault with a career-best mark of 5.35 meters (17-6.50), which ranks third all-time in school history, at the Montana State Dual Meet.
 
"After having the 2020 season end because of the pandemic, and also having a very close friend and teammate (Roman Ruiz) have a traumatic brain injury, it really put a lot of things into perspective," Nelson said. "Things could be worse. I could have had a career-ending injury or something worse that ended my season. It was hard, but lots of other athletes are in the same position, so it's important to try to stay positive and remember and cherish the experiences I had as an athlete. Then, take that attitude with everything I do going forward in life like cherish experiences, work and family and friends, because just like that, life could change in an instant."
 
As a junior in 2018, Nelson earned first-team all-Mountain West honors after placing first in the pole vault with a season-best mark of 5.15 meters (16-10.75) at the Indoor Championships. He placed first in four of the six meets he competed in, and recorded five top-three finishes.
 
The pole vault title at the MW Indoor Championships was the first on the men's side for the Aggies since 2005. Additionally, Nelson became the first athlete to knock Air Force off the pole vault podium since 2012.
 
"My favorite memory of Sam was watching him taking the indoor conference championship away from Air Force in the pole vault," said Utah State head track & field coach Matt Ingebritsen. "That was a tremendous effort and showed what kind of athlete and competitor he is. I'm really going to miss having Sam on the team. He is one of a kind and one of the best kids I've had the privilege of being around."
 
Nelson rolled his indoor success over into the outdoor season as he finished his junior campaign by tying for 17th in the first round of the pole vault with a mark of 5.00 meters (16-4.75) at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships. Prior to that, he garnered first-team all-MW honors after placing first in the pole vault with a mark of 5.00 meters at the Outdoor Championships.
 
"It is amazing how far Sam came as an athlete," Rasmussen said. "He only jumped 14 feet, 6 inches in high school. He improved by over three feet. That's pretty remarkable and very rare. We often joke about how he's lucky I wasn't the coach recruiting him because I probably wouldn't have even let him walk on the team with that mark out of high school.
 
"But, we are fortunate to have had Sam on the team. He is a great leader, friend and one of the best people I have ever had the opportunity to work with. He turned out to be a pretty darn good athlete, as well."
 
At the 2018 Utah State-hosted Mark Faldmo Invitational, Nelson captured first place in the pole vault and set a personal-best mark of 5.17 meters (16-11.5), which ranks sixth all-time in school history.
 
"I will miss a lot of things about Utah State, but the big three are the competitions, friendships and opportunity to push myself more every day," Nelson said. "Competing with individuals and friends that will one day be Olympians is pretty sweet. I tried to take it all in when I was at meets, because who gets to do that? Very few people. The friendships, whether on the team or
other teams, is another thing I will miss a ton. And, just pushing myself every day at practice and in the classroom will, hopefully, continue, but training at this level is something special."
 
Nelson certainly excelled in the classroom, as well, as he was a three-time academic all-MW recipient, three-time MW Scholar-Athlete honoree and member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in 2018.
 
Outside of schooling, Nelson enjoys spending time in the outdoors, whether it be hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing or camping. He also likes to golf, wakeboard, watch movies, put puzzles together, read and cook.
 
"Just anything that requires me to explore or be active," Nelson said.
 
The 26-year-old son of Eric and Gina Nelson, who served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Fukuoka, Japan, from 2014-16, is majoring in finance and minoring in real estate and chemistry. He is on track to graduate this spring.
 
"Sam is the kind of kid that will help out with anything, whether it is prepping for home meets or team gatherings, Sam will be one of the first to volunteer to help," Ingebritsen said. "He is great at running groups and helping at our camp, as well. That says a tremendous amount about who Sam is as a person. He will go a long way in life due to his character and willingness to help in any situation."
 
Nelson is working for a company right now out of Salt Lake City called OZ Impact Funds, where he plans on working for three years. He then plans on taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and moving to the southeast to earn a master's in finance.
 
"I felt like everyone was on my side," Nelson said of his time as an Aggie. "From professors, coaches, deans and all other faculty members, they were there to help me succeed in everything I did. I never felt like they were trying to get rid of me. For example, I came in as a walk-on, but I worked to prove myself and no one gave up on me. They were there to help me succeed. The result is I won a couple of conference championships and other awards and recognitions. Not only at the track was this prevalent, but in the business school where I will be graduating from. They have helped open doors to many wonderful opportunities. This is just how I feel the Aggie family treats each other."
 
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