When Rice vaulter Natan Rivera represents his country of El Salvador at next week's Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, he will do so on the heels of a breakout freshman campaign, one that has Rivera and his coaching staff dreaming much bigger in years to come.
"He's right on path with some of the Rice greats that have competed before him," Rice pole vault coach David Butler said. "I've met supreme talents, but few that have both the physical and mental stability to meet their talent; Natan has both. I think it helps that he's from a small country (El Salvador) and he sees this as a life changing opportunity. Vaulting could be his avenue to make his life and his family's life better."
In just six months, Rivera has made an immediate impact on the men's track and field program. A native of San Salvador, El Salvador, Rivera burst onto the scene by winning a combined four events between the indoor and outdoor seasons, including a C-USA Indoor championship in Birmingham. Prior to that, in just his second meet during the indoor season, Rivera took the pole vault title at the Houston Invitational and in the process set an El Salvador national record by clearing 5.20m (17'0.75").
He carried that momentum into the outdoor season and caught the eyes of everyone by winning the pole vault at the Texas Relays with a clearance of 5.35m (17'6.50"), tied for the fourth-best outdoor mark in program history behind the likes of Jason Colwick, Chris Pillow, and Dave Roberts. Rivera won gold at the C-USA Indoor Championships.
A third-place finish and bronze medal at the C-USA Outdoor Championships put a bow on Rivera's first collegiate season. However, Rivera has continued to improve his craft this summer, finishing third at the NACAC U23 Championships, which came just a few weeks following fellow freshman teammate Corbett Fong winning the decathlon at the USATF U20 National Championships.
"Natan is the ideal student athlete for Rice University," Rice men's T&F head coach Jon Warren said. "He is both talented and hard-working. He is a jewel to coach and he and Coach Butler have worked very well together. He's added to his Rice accolades of being a conference champion by representing his country throughout the summer. I'm excited to see how this young man grows over the coming years."
Rivera's journey to Rice traces to former Owls legendary T&F head coach and Hall of Fame member, Victor Lopez. While in high school, Rivera was competing at the Pan Am U20 Championships and won silver. To Rice's fortune, Lopez was serving as the NACAC President and the kid from El Salvador caught his attention.
A recommendation letter from Lopez to Coach Butler followed, as well as a peaked interest in Rice University from Rivera. It was a match made in heaven and the rest as they say is history.
"I was always interested in studying in the U.S. and I was looking for a school with excellent academics and a great background in pole vault and Engineering," Rivera said. "Rice had it both and more. Olympic medals and NCAA champions in the pole vault, a great coaching staff, and one of the best engineering schools in the country. After Mr. Lopez talked to Coach Butler we shared a mutual interest in each other and it was clear that Rice was my choice."
Rivera credits his success in 2019 to all members of the coaching staff, who have each provided him the perfect mix of technique and discipline.
Rivera and Pole Vault Coach David Butler
"Coach Butler is a great person and sometimes he can be tough," he said. "In the end though, everything he does or says has a purpose and helps me to be more disciplined in both academics and vaulting. The main thing I've learned from him is to pay attention to every detail and I apply that to everything in my life. Coach Jonathan Hill has also played a big role for me. He makes me work hard every practice but he's taught me to enjoy each one of them."
The Rice men's track & field program has a laundry list of vaulters who have made their marks in the record books. From NCAA and Olympic gold medal champion Fred Hansen (1964), to NCAA champions Dave Roberts (3x) and Jason Colwick (2x), along with All Americans Dave Weichert, Warren Brattlof, Paul Brattlof, and Chris Pillow; Rivera is primed to follow in the footsteps of the all-time greats that have come before him.
"It's incredible to follow them because of their impressive achievements," said Rivera. "I just think that if I want to be like them and one day surpass them I must work hard and efficiently. It's an absolute honor to be a part of a program that has such high-quality vaulters."
Rivera will proudly get to don his country's colors on Aug. 10 (3:30 p.m. CT) at the Pan Am Games, a moment the El Salvador native can hardly wait for.
"Representing my country is something that makes me really proud and to be able to do it at the Pan Am Games is remarkable," said Rivera. "My goal is to clear 5.50m (18'0"), which would get me closer to the school record (5.72m-18'9.25"-Colwick, 2009)."
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