CHARLOTTE, N.C. - High Point University sophomore
Ricardo Montes de Oca was selected as the Big South Conference's 2025-26 Men's Field Athlete of the Year for the first time in his career on Tuesday morning. The awards are voted on by the Big South track & field head coaches as part of their annual June meeting and encompass both the indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons.
Montes de Oca earned All-America status in both indoor and outdoor track & field for his performances in the pole vault at both NCAA Championship events. He clinched First-Team All-America honors in the indoor pole vault following his seventh-place finish at the NCAAs with a clearance of 5.60m, while his vault of 5.68m at the Doc Hale Invitational on Feb. 6 established the overall Big South record. He won the Big South Indoor pole vault with a Championship Meet record of 5.37m. Montes de Oca earned Second-Team All-America status in the Outdoor pole vault at the NCAA Championships with his vault of 5.50m, good for 10th in the nation. He recorded seven consecutive pole vault victories during the outdoor season -- including the Big South title with a clearance of 5.50m. He re-set the Big South overall pole vault record with a clearance of 5.70m at the 44 Farms Invitational on April 10, which tied for the sixth-best mark nationally for the entire outdoor campaign. Montes de Oca also participated in his first-ever collegiate long jump during the Big South Championship and medaled with a third-place finish with this leap of 7.43m.
This is the third straight season that High Point has had a men's field athlete of the year crowned and the fourth time overall. In the last eight seasons (not including 2020 due to Covid-19), HPU has had a male or female athlete recognized as an athlete of the year.
#GoHPU x #DefendTheTeam
