Scott Toney of Penn track and field announces transfer to Washington

Penn track and field senior pole vaulter Scott Toney will be taking his jumping talents to Washington for his fifth year of college eligibility. 

The decision comes after an exemplary senior campaign from the senior after his first three years with the Red and Blue were largely underscored by injuries. In his final year with the Quakers, Toney is making up for lost time.

Earlier this year at the Penn State National Open, Toney broke the program record, becoming the first Quaker to successfully clear 18 feet in the pole vault with a jump of 18 feet and 0.5 inches. Toney would follow up that performance by achieving a personal-best 18 feet and 1.75 inches jump at the 2024 Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational two weeks later. Since then, the record has been reset by teammate junior Jimmy Rhoads who recorded a height of 18 feet and 5.25 inches at the 64th Annual Mt. SAC Relays.

Toney’s performance at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships earlier this year, clearing a height of 5.50 meters, was good enough to secure himself fifth place, landing him First-Team All-American honors. This past weekend at the Penn Relays, Toney finished second behind Rhoads for the first Quaker 1-2 punch in the event in program history.

“It means a lot, jumping at Penn,” Toney said. “Not every school can say they have two guys jumping over 18 feet.”

Toney also claimed the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonals title in the pole vault with a height of 5.36 meters. The win was even more meaningful for the Mountain View, Calif. native as the competition was on Toney’s older brother’s birthday. Marc Toney, who died last fall, was a large reason for Toney’s success and being closer to family played a large role in Toney’s decision to move back to the West Coast for the upcoming season. 

Toney will be joining a Washington program where the men’s track and field program is currently ranked 28th in the nation. The Huskies' pole vaulting squad is considered one of the best in the nation. The coaching staff features Tim Reilly who has previously coached the Moll twins — Amanda and Hana — who are widely considered pole vaulting prodigies. In her first season with Washington, Hana recently won her first NCAA title in the pole vault. There, Toney will hope to be able to jump to even higher heights. 

Before joining the Huskies, though, Toney hopes to bring home some more titles for the Red and Blue. With the Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonals and the NCAA Division I Men’s Track and Field Outdoor Championships still looming, Toney will have the chance to defend his Ivy title and potentially climb the podiums at the national level. Beyond that, the senior has also got his eyes set on qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials that will be held later this year.  

“My goal is to jump 5.70 meters,” Toney said. “That’s where the U.S. Olympics Trial qualifying mark is around. And to simply compete at the Trials would be an amazing experience.”