Rue Named Big Ten Athlete of the Week

It's not a Pan Am Games gold medal, but ...

University of Minnesota sophomore pole vaulter Alicia Rue added another honor to her lengthening resume by earning Co-Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Week honors. The award is the first weekly Big Ten honor for Rue (pictured), who won the Junior Pan American Games gold medal last summer.

Rue, a Robbinsdale Armstrong graduate, won the pole vault competition at last Saturday’s season-opening Northwest Open. She cleared an indoor personal best of 12 feet, 11 1/2 inches, an NCAA provisional qualifier and the second-best vault in school history. Pole vaulters led the Gophers at the meet -- Seniors Ashley Nord and Andrea Smith tied for second place with a height of 12-5, senior Laura Massey was fourth at 11-11 3/4, and freshman Samantha Sonnenberg was fifth at 11-11 3/4.

A full report on the women's meet, via the Gopher sports information office, is HERE.

A men's wrap-up is HERE.

Minnesota hosts its second indoor track meet of the season, the Minnesota Open, on Saturday. Action gets underway at 11 a.m. at the University Fieldhouse.

Photo courtesy of the U of M.