Rice University Athletics
Tara Simpson-Sullivan: Leaving it all in the Ring
6/6/2024 1:20:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
HOUSTON – For the last five years, Tara Simpson-Sullivan has established herself as one of the best throwers across the nation. Her journey to becoming one of the all-time greats wasn't as easy as all the accomplishments make it seem. Nevertheless, as her reign in the ring nears an end, Simpson-Sullivan's career will forever be cemented in Rice history.
A native of Penrith, England, Simpson-Sullivan worked with a sports agency that connects international athletes with schools to help with international recruiting.
"I had worked with an agency of sorts who put together [athlete's] stats and a little overview of who they are, and they send out these profiles to numerous different schools. They put mine together and sent it out, and Rice was one of the schools that got in touch with me and said they were interested in recruiting me," Simpson-Sullivan said. "I had never heard of [Rice] until they reached out. I wasn't fully aware of how prestigious Rice was, so I can't say that that was something that lured me in, but there were many benefits to Rice that I was looking for, like the warm weather, a city location, and an invested coaching staff. Plus, they had also offered me a full ride on my recruiting trip, so I would've been a fool to turn it down, and I'm glad that I didn't."
"When we recruited her, we thought she had a lot of potential, but we had no idea that she would mature so quickly and delightedly so," said women's track and field head coach Jim Bevan. "She only trained once or twice a week back home and had to travel to do that training, so we knew there was going to be an upside, but it had to be developed. She celebrated her 18th birthday on her recruitment trip with us, and it didn't hurt that it was 70 degrees in Houston, and then when she got off the plane in Pullman, Washington, it was snowing."
Once arriving to South Main her freshman year, it took time for Simpson-Sullivan to fully adjust to the collegiate way of life. Training, weather and the rigor of Rice already made adjustments difficult. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it took additional time until Simpson-Sullivan got used to the collegiate life.
"I had a pretty difficult time transitioning to training five to six times a week my true freshman year, as before I got here, I trained once, maybe twice a week," Simpson-Sullivan said. "Add in the heat of Houston in August and I had a very rough time. But, I soon acclimated to the heat. In my sophomore year, which is when I had my first outdoor season due to COVID-19 the previous year, competition to competition was pretty much similar to those that I'd see back home until I got to the NCAA Championships, where it ran much more like an international championship meet."
"Plus, the access that I had in the collegiate system was incredible: dieticians, athletics trainers, chiropractors, etc. The NCAA and Rice really invest in you, so that you can compete at the highest level," Simpson-Sullivan added.
It wasn't until Simpson-Sullivan got to Rice that she learned about the weight throw for the indoor season. Even though she was just learning the event, Simpson-Sullivan didn't waste much time becoming a conference favorite, winning the C-USA weight throw title her freshman year.
"The indoor season was something brand new to me," Simpson-Sullivan said. "Before coming to Rice, I didn't really know what the weight throw was. But I picked it up quickly and won my first conference title at my first-ever conference meet. It was a great feeling, especially since I wasn't expected to win. Plus, it only got better when [Rice] won the team title too."
"What an amazing start to win her first of many conference titles in the weight throw," Bevan said. "She had just learned what the weight throw was, so that was truly something to see. It was even more amazing to go from fifth up to first on her final throw, showcasing the amazing competitor that she is."
That conference performance to open her career foreshadowed what was to come in the ring from Simpson-Sullivan, and Rice throws coach Brek Christensen realized that as soon as she won that initial title.
"The moment I knew we had something very special with Tara was her very first indoor conference meet in 2020," Christensen said. "On her final attempt in the weight throw, she went from fifth place to first place with a new personal best and school record. On that day, I learned that not only was she talented, but she could also compete. The moment was not too big for her. I can still remember what we spoke about before that throw and replay that sequence in my mind as if it were yesterday."
Fast forward five years, Simpson-Sullivan has collected eight conference titles between the weight and hammer throw. In addition, she made her presence felt on the national stage, earning six All-American honors, with her seventh All-American honor on the horizon at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
As the first female athlete recruited by Christensen, what the two have been able to accomplish has cemented Simpson-Sullivan's legacy as one of the greatest athletes at Rice.
"The men's and women's throws group has been fortunate enough to have some really good success the last couple of years, and I believe that has started with Tara and not only what she has accomplished but how she went about her craft," Christensen said. "As the years have passed, the situations, pressures, injuries, and adversities have all changed and affected how we go about training and everyday life. Tara has handled them all about as well as anyone could."
"Every victory or title has been unique and memorable in some way, all having different elements of nerves and excitement. And at the end of the day, all of the objective stuff means nothing without the relationships forged, the laughs had, the tears shed, and the entire experience lived with not only myself but her teammates," Christensen added.
As her coach for half of her throwing career, Simpson-Sullivan has been able to grow as an athlete and leader with Christensen.
"I've been throwing for 10 years and [Christensen] has been my coach for five of those years. I'm forever grateful that he took the chance to recruit me," Simpson-Sullivan said. "When I first came here, I was relatively new still in my training age, and there was a lot of work we both had to do in order to understand how one another thought about the throw. Over the years, I think we've both grown as athlete and coach, just with having to be adaptable in training due to the number of injuries I've had over the years. We just have a lot of respect for one another."
Looking at all of the success, many wouldn't be able to see all that Simpson-Sullivan has battled to obtain that success. From injuries, the academic rigor of Rice and other adversities throughout her career, Simpson-Sullivan has been able to stay on course and remain one of the top throwers in the nation.
"My career at Rice truly has been a rollercoaster. So much as people may see me winning all these achievements, they don't often see the lows of the sport where you're struggling to find hope that you can make your way back to those moments," Simpson-Sullivan said. "From having to work through injuries, the stress of classes, and the struggles of being an international student-athlete are just some of the things that come with being a student-athlete. Luckily, my coaches and support staff have been there every step of the way to help me move through some of those low moments.
"Rice has been a five-year-long journey, and I don't know if I'll have the words to truly describe what these past five years have meant to me. I think it'll take a while for it to sink in that it's actually coming to a close."
This season, her hard work throughout the entirety of her career was rewarded, winning the 2024 Joyce Pounds Hardy Award, presented to the top female athlete at Rice.
"Being nominated for that award is huge, and so being selected as the winner this year is a huge privilege," Simpson-Sullivan said. "I think it's a reflection of my hard work over the years, the struggles I've faced, and the commitment to bettering myself and the things I involve myself in. I'm very thankful that Rice Athletics honored me with the award."
Now, with her five-year journey coming to a close, Christensen is ready for Simpson-Sullivan to go out and leave it all in the ring.
"It will undoubtedly be emotional for me," Christensen said. "It will be tough knowing this is it for Tara in a Rice uniform, but the finite nature of our sport is what makes it special. Her legacy as one of the greatest athletes to wear the uniform is already well-established. Coaches get very few 'Taras' in their entire career and I am just so fortunate to have had the privilege and opportunity to work with her. To see all she has accomplished and how she has grown as a young woman is exactly what this profession is all about.
"And the truth is our approach to this meet is like every other meet we have had over the last five years. We know that one meet or performance will never define you as an athlete or as a person. We just want to go out there and enjoy it. The goal is always to go leave everything you can in the ring on meet day. If you are truly able to do that, then no matter what the result is, you can walk away proud of your performance. And no matter what Tara does in this meet, I will always be incredibly proud of her and lucky to be her coach."
As she prepares for her final throws in a Rice uniform, Simpson-Sullivan will only be looking to add to her already incredible resume. Regardless of the result, all eyes will be on Tara.
"We are looking forward to the grand finale. We couldn't be prouder of Tara," Bevan said. "She's been a stellar competitor, leader, and teammate. We are extremely honored she's been part of our program and we are looking forward to just watching her compete one last time with Rice"
"It's very bittersweet, knowing that this is my final meet in a Rice uniform," Simpson-Sullivan said. "I'm trying not to let the emotions get the better of me, as I already get nervous enough as it is. I think once the competition is over, the reality of the finality of it all will come back to me. But for now, I'm focused on performing my best and hopefully coming away with another first-team All-American title!"
