By Reporter Staff

Newport graduate Jeremy Taiwo hasn’t even been on the University of Washington track and field team a year, and he’s already making a name for himself.

Taiwo finished in 12th place in the heptathlon and earned All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships, hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

Taiwo entered the final day of competition in seventh place with 2,324 points before sliding to 12th and finishing with 5,389 points. Taiwo struggled in the pole vault, losing ground in the points race, but did win the final event, the 1,000 meter run. The freshman finished in 2:43.90.

Taiwo is the first Husky All-America ever in the seven-event heptathlon. All-America honors are awarded to the top-eight finishers, with additional honors awarded until eight American-born athletes are honored. Five of the athletes who finished ahead of Taiwo were foreign-born.

Taiwo, whose father Joseph was a two-time Olympian for Nigeria at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, set numerous records at Newport. As a sophomore, Taiwo won the 3A state triple jump and high jump, setting the sophomore state triple jump record at 48-3 1/2. He placed second in the triple and high jumps at the 2008 state meet after a foot injury sidelined him for his junior year. He also won the boys decathlon at the 2008 Washington State Multi-Event Championships.