TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Rose-Hulman athletic department will be featuring multiple student-athletes across all of their varsity sports teams this summer in the Fightin' Engineers to Watch media campaign.
 
Men's track and field's Fightin' Engineer to Watch is pole vaulter Kolton Nanko as he enters his senior season.

Nanko is coming off an exceptional junior season where he was a member of both the Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field conference champion teams. He won the HCAC Indoor Individual Championship in the pole vault with a jump of 15' 11," and he added a second-place finish in the pole vault at the HCAC Outdoor Championships with a jump of 15' 5".
 
During Nanko's time at Rose-Hulman, he has enjoyed being a member of both the football team and the track and field programs. "I have made countless connections through Rose-Hulman athletics, and my teammates and coaches have kept me disciplined to continue to work on being the best athlete and student I can be," said Nanko. "Pole vaulting is something that I love, and I am very happy that I have been able to continue pole vaulting at Rose. My goal for next season is to qualify for Nationals and earn a spot on the National Podium."
 
The Yorktown, Indiana native has claimed four HCAC Individual Championships in the pole vault during his time at Rose-Hulman. Nanko also ranks fifth in the Rose-Hulman record books in both the indoor pole vault with a mark of 15' 11" and the outdoor pole vault with a mark of 16' ¾".
 
Nanko is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He is spending his summer working on a research project on optimal robot morphologies with Dr. Haughn while also training at his local pole vault club during the offseason.
 
What Nanko most enjoys about being a student-athlete at Rose-Hulman is that he gets to play the sport he loves, make lifelong connections, and develop organizational and time-management skills. "I knew I was going to go to Rose, so I am very fortunate that it has given me a platform to continue to play the sports I love," said Nanko. "A lot of my closest friends are people that I have met through being an athlete, and these connections are very beneficial in helping me get through the struggles of being an engineering student. Being a student-athlete also makes me stay more focused in my tasks both on and off the field, while being able to balance my time between practice and completing any schoolwork that needs to be done."
 
The Fightin' Engineers will look to claim their fifth consecutive HCAC Indoor Championship during the 2027 season. Rose-Hulman will compete in their home opener on Saturday, December 5 at 11 AM during the Fightin' Engineers Invitational.