Rick Noji was one of the most accomplished high school track and field athletes in Washington state history. In 1984, while competing for Franklin High School at the Metro League Championships, he set the all-time state high jump record at 7’4½”, a mark that stood for decades as one of the most remarkable performances in state history. Later that year, he claimed the state championship in the high jump at 6’10”. Noji continued his dominance in 1985, winning another state title in the high jump at 7’0” and adding state championships in the long jump with a leap of 23’1¼” and the 200 meters with a time of 21.52 seconds.

After high school, Noji competed for the University of Washington, where he established himself as one of the finest track and field athletes ever to wear a Husky uniform. He earned six All-American honors, won a Pac-10 title, and placed second in the NCAA Indoor Championships and third in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. His school record of 7’6” in the high jump still stands, and in 1999 he was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame.

Noji also excelled on the international stage. He competed in three World Championships (1991, 1993, and 1995) and qualified for four U.S. Olympic Trials (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996). He reached a personal best of 7’7”, a feat made all the more extraordinary given his height of 5’8”. That performance placed him second all-time in the world for height-over-head ratio in the high jump, further solidifying his place among the sport’s most unique and gifted athletes.