Spring Sports Senior Spotlight: Michael Rhoads

Michael Rhoads | Sunnyvale, Calif.
800-Meter Run
Cadet Squadron 16
Assignment after Graduation: Undergraduate Pilot Training

"Michael will leave us as the most decorated middle distance runner in USAFA Men's Track history," head coach Ralph Lindeman said. "What he's accomplished over the past few years is simply phenomenal. This past indoor season, while ranked fourth in the NCAA Division I regular season, he took a terrible fall in the Mountain West Conference's 800-meter final, yet had the courage to scramble to his feet to finish fifth. Watching his fall and struggle to get up, I just ached for him. He returned to the scene in Albuquerque two weeks later for the NCAA Indoor Championships, only to be told on Thursday, the day before he was to start racing, that the NCAA Indoor meet was cancelled due to the Covid virus. How could a young man even begin to deal with these consecutive setbacks? Yet I watched Michael stay positive through it all. What many onlookers and rivals don't appreciate is that Michael is as good a person and as effective a leader, as he is a fast runner. I'm praying he gets a year in the Air Force WCAP program to race at next summer's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 800-meter run and try to make the team before starting pilot training. Who knows what he might achieve? I guarantee he'll be more driven than any of his competitors – that's been his hallmark all along!"

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Three-Time All-American | 800-Meter Run
Five-Time NCAA Qualifier | 800-Meter Run
Two-Time Mountain West Athlete of the Year
Two-Time Mountain West Champion | 800-Meter Run
Two-Time Mountain West Champion | 4x400-Meter Relay
Six-Time All-Conference Selection
Academy Record Holder | 800-Meter Run, Sprint Medley Relay, 4x400-Meter Relay

SENIOR YEAR | 2019-20: NCAA qualifier in the 800-meter run...finished the regular season ranked fourth in the nation in that event...all-conference honoree...named the Mountain West Indoor Track Athlete of the Week twice...used a time of 1:47.65 to place second out of 53 runners at the Iowa State Classic...that is the second-fastest time of his career...it would've been the third-fastest time in Mountain West history if he didn't already hold the No. 2 mark from his Academy record in 2019...earned additional runner-up honors in 800-meter debut at the Red Raider Invitational (1:49.54a) and in the preliminary round of the Mountain West Indoor Championships...got caught in a three-runner collision during the conference final, but came back to finish fifth...also competed in the 400-meter dash twice...clocked a season-best time of 48.67 to finish third at the Air Force Invitational...earned all-MW honors after running the third leg of the 4x400-meter relay that posted the seventh-fastest time in Academy history (3:11.97) during a runner-up performance at the conference meet.

JUNIOR YEAR | 2018-19: Two-time NCAA All-American in the 800-meter run...three-time conference champion...three-time all-conference selection...earned the Mountain West Athlete of the Year award for both the indoor and outdoor seasons...two-time MW Track Athlete of the Week...set three Academy records...broke the program's 35-year-old indoor record at 800 meters with a winning 1:47.22 (adjusted for altitude) performance at the MW Indoor Championships...raw time of 1:47.82 is a new MW Championship Meet Record and the second-fastest time in conference history...won four of six 800-meter races during the indoor season (Air Force Team Challenge, Texas Tech Shootout, MW preliminary, MW final)...finished regular season ranked 10th in the nation...claimed first-team All-America honors after placing eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships (1:49.49)...competed in the 400-meter dash during both meets in Boulder, clocking a personal-best 47.97 at the Colorado Invitational...ran the third leg of the 4x400-meter relay that clocked the fourth-fastest indoor time in program history (3:11.30) at the Texas Tech Shootout...broke the program's outdoor record at 800-meters in the finals of the NCAA Outdoor Championships...clocked a career-best time of 1:46.58 to finish sixth in the meet and claim first-team All-America honors...that time is the second-fastest mark in conference history – and the fastest since 1999...first broke the program's 11-year-old standard in that event with a 1:47.10 performance in the Elite Division of the Mt SAC Relays...won first meet of the outdoor season (1:50.38, Texas A&M Invitational)...anchored the 4x400-meter relay that won the title at the MW Outdoor Championships...also anchored the sprint medley relay that accounted for an Academy-record time of 3:19.33 at the Drake Relays.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2017-18: All-American in the 800-meter run...ran on the 4x400-meter relay that won the conference title at the Mountain West Indoor Championships...two-time all-conference selection...recorded the second-fastest 800-meter time in Air Force history (1:48.22, adjusted for altitude) to finish second at the MW Indoor Championships...that mark is a new Sophomore Class Record...the unadjusted time of 1:48.83 is the second-fastest mark in MW Championship Meet history...earned second-team All-America honors after finishing 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships (1:49.73)...became the Academy's first 800-meter runner to earn All-America honors since 1994...won that event at the Air Force Team Challenge (1:50.98a)...earned the team's Track Athlete of the Week award after that meet...ran on the 4x400-meter relay that set an Academy-record time of 3:09.18 at the Texas Tech Shootout...that is the also the third-fastest time in Mountain West history...member of the relay team that won the MW title (3:10.99)...clocked a 500-meter time of 1:03.40 to win the Air Force Holiday Open and shatter the Academy record...ran the 400-meter dash twice, clocking a career-best 48.18 at the Colorado Invitational...competed in the 800-meter run once during the outdoor season...clocked a team-leading time of 1:49.92 to finish eighth in the Premiere section of the Sun Angel Classic.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2016-17: Earned the team's Newcomer of the Year award...qualified to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800-meter run...impacted the Academy record book in that event during the indoor and outdoor seasons...set a Freshman Class Record at 800 meters...clocked a career-best time of 1:49.11 (adjusted for altitude) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships to move into fourth on the Academy's all-time list...scored for the Falcons at the conference meet (fourth)...debuted on the outdoor top 10 with a winning time of 1:49.91a at the Air Force Twilight Open...named the MW Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week following that meet...clocked an indoor-best 800-meter time of 1:50.78 to finish sixth at the MW Championships...that is the ninth-fastest time in Academy history...earned the team's Track Athlete of the Week award after winning the 800-meter run at the Air Force Collegiate Open (1:51.59a).

HIGH SCHOOL: Inglemoor High School...won the 400-meter dash at the Washington 4A state track and field championships as a junior...placed second in that event as a senior...clocked a career-best 400-meter time of 48.21 at the 2016 state meet.

PERSONAL: Full name is Michael Wesley Rhoads...son of Dean and Liz Rhoads...nickname is "Little Mike"...has one older sister and one younger brother...majoring in management...post-Air Force plans includes becoming a professional duck spotter and general duck enthusiast...hobbies include "practicing techniques for downhill waterskiing, knitting, alchemy and partaking in asparagus-growing competitions"...once had a pet crow...member of Cadet Squadron 16.

Spring Sports Senior Spotlight: Michael Rhoads

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Michael Rhoads

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Spring Sports Senior Spotlight: Michael Rhoads

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