Thomas Nieto was named the National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the 2022 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season. Nieto capped a near-undefeated season with a resounding victory in the pole vault at the NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas. He cleared 5.30m (17-4½) and was the only athlete left after 4.81m (15-9¼). During the regular season, Nieto won four of the five competitions he entered, including a victory at the Wes Kittley Invitational & Multi, where he topped 5.41m (17-9) for the third-best bar in NJCAA history.