CLOVIS, California — Utah State track & field won two bronze medals, scored 31 points and qualified six Aggies for finals on day two of the Mountain West Outdoor Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday.
At the end of day two, the USU men were in third with 46 points and the Aggie women sat in fifth with 23 points.
“We had a lot of good things happen today,” said Artie Gulden, USU’s director of track & field and cross country. “We have a lot of people still competing tomorrow and we’re ready for more great things to happen.”
Senior Gavin Beierle won the bronze medal in the men’s shot put with a personal record mark of 17.92 meters (58-9.5) on his sixth throw. With the mark, Gulden believes Beierle has earned a spot in the NCAA West Preliminaries.
“It feels really great,” Beierle said. “I came back from a rough year and being able to come back and do that with my team one last time was really fun and rewarding. We had a great comp today and it’s been a long time coming and I’m happy that I was able to do that.”
Senior Brandon Ovington and junior Nate Franz also scored in the men’s shot put as Ovington took sixth with a PR mark of 17.12 meters (56-2) and Franz placed eighth with a mark of 16.53 meters (54-2.75).
“It was awesome to have some Aggies get into the final,” Beierle said. “We were just taking it easy and training right and did everything that we needed to do, to do well. I appreciate my buddies and we couldn’t do what we do without each other. It’s really been a team effort all the way through and through.”
In the decathlon, sophomore Javin Richards took bronze with 6,731 points and senior Caden Dupee finished fifth with 6,350 points. Richards won the decathlon 400 meters and pole vault on his way to the podium finish.
“Competition — I just thrive on it,” Richards said. “It feels awesome.”
Richards was especially proud of his personal record in the 400 meters with a time of 49.37. Richard’s performance in the decathlon ranks 10th all-time in school history.
Sophomore Sophie Chandler finished sixth in the heptathlon with 4,950 points scoring three points for the Aggie women. Chandler’s best finish came in the javelin where she placed second with a mark of 40.49 meters (132-10).
“Sophie and the guys in the decathlon started the day well for us,” said Gulden.
In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, three Aggies scored as freshman Shelby Jensen took sixth with a time of 10:20.74, senior Abby Jensen finished seventh with a time of 10:23.62 and senior Bailey Brinkerhoff-Todd placed eighth with a time of 10:27.14.
Sophomore Logan Garnica finished fourth in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:47.80. Junior Max Wehrli and senior Mark Crandall also scored, taking fifth and seventh with times of 8:49.20 and 8:53.45, respectively.
“Scoring three people in both steeplechases was great,” Gulden said.
Freshman Sabrina Fairbanks scored for the Aggie women in the women’s pole vault, clearing 3.88 meters (12-8.75) to place sixth.
“Sabrina scoring in the pole vault was huge,” Gulden said.
In the men’s long jump, freshman Samuel Beckwith scored a point for the Aggie men by finishing eighth with a mark of 7.15 meters (23-5.5).
In track preliminaries, six Aggies qualified for finals on Championship Saturday. In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, all three Aggies qualified for the finals. Senior Abbey Bryant took fourth with a personal record time of 13.36, junior Maddie Edwards placed seventh with a time of 13.81 and sophomore Krysthina Vlahovic finished eighth with a time of 13.86. Bryant’s time ranks second all-time in USU history.
Senior Spencer Nelson and junior Wyatt Evans both punched their tickets to the finals of the men’s 1,500 meters by taking ninth and 12th with times of 3:48.14 and 3:49.13, respectively.
In the men’s 400 meters, sophomore Rylan Anderson took ninth with a time of 48.07 to qualify for the finals.
Tomorrow, Utah State wraps up the MW Outdoor Championships starting with the women’s discus at 2 p.m. (MT). All events will be live-streamed on the Mountain West Network.
Mountain West Outdoor Championships
Veterans Memorial Stadium | Clovis, California | May 10, 2024
USU Women’s Results:
100-Meter Hurdles – 4. Abbey Bryant, 13.36 q; 7. Maddie Edwards, 13.81 q; 8. Krysthina Vlahovic, 13.86 q.
Shot Put – 10. Milly Garren, 13.91 meters (45-7.75); 13. Ruby Jordan, 12.83 meters (42-1.25).
400 Meters (prelims) – 14. Autumn Kidd, 56.51.
Pole Vault – 6. Sabrina Fairbanks, 3.88 meters (12-8.75); 10. Paige Hansen, 3.73 meters (12-2.75).
3,000-Meter Steeplechase – 6. Shelby Jensen, 10:20.74; 7. Abby Jensen, 10:23.62; 8. Bailey Brinkerhoff, 10:27.14; 10. Sammi Lee, 10:37.25.
Heptathlon (final standings) – 6. Sophie Chandler, 4,950 points.
Long Jump – 7. Sophie Chandler, 5.31 meters (17-5.25).
Javelin – 2. Sophie Chandler, 40.49 meters (132-10).
USU Men’s Results:
Long Jump – 12. Joshua Hartvigsen, 6.90 meters (22-7.75).
1,500 Meters (prelims) – 9. Spencer Nelson, 3:48.14 q; 12. Wyatt Evans, 3:49.13 q; 14. Drew Hogan, 3:49.98; 15. Bridger Altice, 3:52.58.
400 Meters (prelims) – 9. Rylan Anderson, 48.07 q; 11. Carter Guiness, 49.26.
100 Meters (prelims) – 18. Joseph Douglas, 11.05.
Shot Put – 3. Gavin Beierle, 17.92 meters (58-9.5); 6. Brandon Ovington, 17.12 meters (56-2); 8. Nate Franz, 16.53 meters (54-2.75); 14. Calvin Knapp, 14.88 meters (48-10).
3,000-Meter Steeplechase – 4. Logan Garnica, 8:47.80; 5. Max Wehrli, 8:49.20; 7. Mark Crandall, 8:53.45; 10. John Simmons, 9:24.46.
Decathlon (final standings) – 3. Javin Richards, 6,731 points; 5. Caden Dupee, 6,350 points.
110-Meter Hurdles – 5. Javin Richards, 15.80; 6. Caden Dupee, 16.02.
Discus – 4. Caden Dupee, 34.94 meters (114-7); 5. Javin Richards, 32.08 meters (105-3).
Pole Vault – 1. Javin Richards, 4.80 meters (15-9); 6. Caden Dupee, 4.10 meters (13-5.25).
Javelin – 1. Caden Dupee, 52.16 meters (171-1); 4. Javin Richards, 46.05 meters (151-1).
1,500 Meters – 4. Caden Dupee, 4:56.37; 5. Javin Richards, 4:59.69.
-USU-
