Park Hill can boast about having an Olympic medalist.
On Tuesday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Park Hill graduate Chris Nilsen earned a silver medal by his second place finish in the pole vault.
Nilsen battled with Sweden’s Armand Duplantis for the title. After both competitors successfully cleared 5.97 meters, Nilsen was not able to vault over 6.02 meters, which meant a gold medal for Duplantis and the silver for Nilsen.
Nilsen finished ahead of Brazil’s Thiago Braz, who failed to clear 5.92 meters on three attempts.
Lee’s Summit pole vaulter KC Lightfoot took fourth at the Olympics.
Nilsen, now age 23, attended the University of South Dakota after graduating at Park Hill, where he set records in pole vault as a member of the Trojans. In 2016 Nilsen cleared 18 feet, 4 3/4 inches, which at the time was the highest mark ever cleared by a high school athlete in United States history. That feat came at a sectional meet held at the North Kansas City District Activities Complex.