STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford track & field student-athlete Sydney Barta was named a recipient of the 2026 Rhodes Scholarship over the weekend, a prestigious award that covers all expenses for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.
One of two Stanford students and 32 Americans selected for the scholarship, Barta is currently working toward her degree in Bioengineering. At Oxford, the senior will pursue a Master of Science (MSc) by research in musculoskeletal sciences.
A 2021 Paralympian and two-time World Para Athletics medalist, Barta has won five U.S. Paralympic Track & Field national titles and is a two-time Parapan American champion and record holder. Last April, she became the first Paralympian to compete for Stanford's track & field program by running the 200m at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
Barta is the 14th Stanford student-athlete to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and the first since Ziyi Wang of women's golf in 2020 (2021 election year).
A highly-accomplished scholar, the Arlington, Va., native is co-president of Tau Beta Pi, Stanford's national engineering honor society, and serves on the Collegiate Athlete Advisory Council for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Elected by Team USA athletes, Barta acts as the General Paralympic Representative on the Team USA Athletes Commission, advocating for all Paralympians.
In her honors thesis, Barta explored the influences of athletic training on postural control strategies during jump landing. Following her time at Oxford, Barta intends to begin her career in orthopedic surgery.
Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. First, applicants must be endorsed by their college or university. Applicants are chosen on the basis of the criteria set down in the Will of Cecil Rhodes. "These criteria include first and fundamentally, academic excellence. This is a critical but only threshold condition. A Rhodes Scholar should also have great ambition for social impact, and an uncommon ability to work with others to achieve one’s goals. They should be committed to make a strong difference for good in the world, be concerned for the welfare of others, and be acutely conscious of inequities."
Stanford's All-Time Rhodes Scholarship Recipients (14)
| Name | Sport | Announced | Election |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Barta | Women's Track and Field | 2025 | 2026 |
| Ziyi Wang | Women's Golf | 2020 | 2021 |
| Miles Unterreiner | Men's Cross Country/Track and Field | 2013 | 2014 |
| Kate Niehaus | Women's Cross Country/Track and Field | 2011 | 2012 |
| Olivia White | Women's Water Polo | 1996 | 1997 |
| Cory Booker | Football | 1991 | 1992 |
| Robert Sternfels | Men's Water Polo | 1991 | 1992 |
| Kim Grose | Women's Sailing | 1989 | 1990 |
| Victoria Donaldson | Women's Rowing | 1988 | 1989 |
| Scott Matheson | Men's Tennis | 1974 | 1975 |
| Frank "Sandy" Tatum | Men's Golf | 1946 | 1947 |
| Tom Killefer | Baseball | 1938 | 1939 |
| J.B. Knapp | Men's Water Polo | 1932 | 1933 |
| Robert Brown | Men's Track and Field | 1931 | 1932 |