LOGAN, Utah — Utah State track & field claimed nine individual and relay titles, 23 podium finishes and six performances ranking in the top 10 all-time at the USU-hosted Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Invitational at the George Nelson Fieldhouse and the UW Invitational in Seattle, Washington, on Saturday.
Aggie athletes put together a string of outstanding performances across all events along the 60-meter straightaway, winning two titles and setting five top-10 times.
In the women’s 60-meter hurdles, senior Krysthina Vlahovic and junior Claire Petersen bested the field with respective times of 8.44 and 8.51. Vlahovic shaved a hundredth of a second off her previous personal best, which ranks third in school history. Petersen ran her fifth personal-best time of the season to move from seventh to fourth in USU history in the event.
On the men’s side, senior Javin Richards finished third in the 60-meter hurdles final and moved into ninth in school history with his final time of 8.09. Richards, who earlier clocked in at 8.11 in the semis to initially break into the top-10, earned his fifth career entry into the Aggie record book.
Sophomore Mathew Hall won his first career 60-meter title, crossing the line in 6.73 to eke out a victory over Utah Valley’s Gavin Stafford by 0.01 seconds. His performance moved him into a tie for seventh in school history with teammates Diego Aguirre-Stewart and David Konan, who finished fifth and sixth with respective final times of 6.79 and 6.82. The men’s 60-meter squad of Aguirre-Stewart, sophomore Daniel Chase, Hall, Konan and sophomore Ayodele Ojo, Jr., which ranks 12th in the country in the USTFCCCA Event Squad rankings, collectively holds 12 entries in the Aggie record book.
Three Aggie freshmen qualified for the finals of the women’s 60 meters. Adia Ross, the USU record-holder in the event, finished best among them with a final time of 7.54, placing fourth. Emmanuella Njenje broke into the school’s top-10 list for the first time, running the semifinal in 7.62 to rank eighth all-time, while Nia Moore posted a sixth-place time of 7.63 in the prelims.
Senior Logan Hammer won the pole vault title at USU’s annual home meet for the fourth time in his career, clearing a height of 5.58 meters (18-3.75). Hammer, who set the Nelson Fieldhouse record of 5.60 meters (18-4) at last year’s event, won the title by almost a foot and a half.
Freshman Karina Cooper set a personal best in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.04 meters (13-3) to take second in the competition. Cooper improved on her previous record, which ranks third in USU history, by one centimeter.
Senior Milly Garren won the women’s shot put title with a season-best throw of 14.02 meters (46-0). The Logan HS product clinched the victory on her final attempt of the competition.
Junior Joseph Turner took second place in the men’s shot put with a personal-best mark of 16.48 meters (54-1). Like his teammate Garren, Turner saved his best for last, vaulting from eighth to second in the field with his final effort.
Aggie long jumpers claimed a title and a trio of podium finishes. Junior Sam Beckwith took first in the men’s competition with a leap of 7.19 meters (23-7.25) and junior Kace Jones reached his first career long jump podium with his jump of 6.43 meters (21-1.25). Junior Elle Jacobson took second place in the women’s field with her clearance of 5.45 meters (17-10.75).
Njenje led a Utah State podium sweep in the women’s 400 meters, winning the race in 57.06. Freshman Lola Smith and sophomore Elly Jeppsen placed second and third with respective finishing times of 58.58 and 59.05.
Freshman Lexi Toronto took first place and freshman Jane Roos claimed third place in the women’s 800 meters. Toronto, who won Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors earlier this season, finished in a personal-best 2:15.51.
Junior Jedidiah Megargel and freshman Stockton Stevens took second and third in the men’s 3,000 meters. Megargel finished in 8:32.71 and Stevens used a final lap of 30.22, fastest in the field, to cross the line in 8:48.14. On the women’s side, freshman Hailey Shakespear finished in 10:08.03 to place third in the first 3,000-meter race of her collegiate career.
Freshman Caleb White, a day after helping pace junior teammate Landon Bott to the USU record in the 800 meters, finished second in the 600 meters with a time of 1:23.70.
USU’s relay teams rounded out Friday’s competition with two victories and George Nelson Fieldhouse facility records. The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of sophomore Shay Jones, senior Alison Richter, graduate Annie Ivins and sophomore Heidi Harper crossed the line in 3:47.21, breaking the previous record of 3:53.00 set by USU’s Maddie Edwards, Autumn Kidd, Olivia Smith and Emma Reeves in 2024. Another Aggie quartet of Petersen, Jeppsen, sophomore Ava Smith and Lola Smith finished second with a time of 3:55.86. Utah State’s men’s squad of Aguirre-Stewart, Hall, Konan and freshman Brock Parson finished in 3:21.83 to surpass the 2024 standard set by USU’s Rylan Anderson, Carter Guinness, Chris Kauffman and Cooper Jones.
Several other Nelson Fieldhouse records fell on Saturday. Unattached runner Jaslyn Gardner, formerly of BYU, ran the 60 meters in 7.23 in both the prelims and finals to best the record of 7.38 set last year by UVU’s Quincy Bonds. In the men’s 60 meters, Stafford clocked in at 6.71 in the prelims, topping Ojo’s time of 6.73 from a year ago, before falling in the final to Hall. BYU’s Logan Hubler broke his own record in the 60-meter hurdles, a time of 7.88 ran in 2024, with his winning final time of 7.82. Richter’s record 600-meter time of 1:34.62, set in 2024, was bested by UVU’s Jennaveve Bingham’s run of 1:32.92.
In Seattle, sophomore Ava Trimble won her heat and set a personal record by over 12 seconds as she ran a 4:53.35 mile, finishing 29th overall in the Seeded field. Sophomore Ethan Peterson ran a blistering 4:06.88 mile to set his own indoor best and finish 25th overall in the men’s Seeded field.
Utah State will next head north to Bozeman, Montana, for the Montana State-hosted Carignan Classic on Friday, Feb. 6.
Fans can follow the Utah State track and field programs on X at USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on X at USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Invitational
George Nelson Fieldhouse | Logan, Utah | January 31, 2026
USU Men’s Results:
|
Event (Round) |
USU Finishers |
|
60 Meters (P) |
2. David Konan, 6.80; 4. Diego Aguirre-Stewart, 6.82; 6. Mathew Hall, 6.85; 21. Brock White, 7.20; Ayodele Ojo, Jr., DNS. |
|
60 Meters |
1. Mathew Hall, 6.73; 5. Diego Aguirre-Stewart, 6.79; 6. David Konan, 6.82. |
|
600 Meters |
2. Caleb White, 1:23.70. |
|
Mile |
9. Caleb Armstrong, 4:20.71; 11. Michael Moffat, 4:21.08; 14. Walker Cole, 4:23.81; Tayshaun Ogomo, DNF. |
|
3,000 Meters |
2. Jedidiah Megargel, 8:32.71; 3. Stockton Stevens, 8:48.14; 4. Henry Tait, 8:48.39; Michael Moffat, DNF; Walker Cole, DNF; Will Dixon, DNS. |
|
60-Meter Hurdles (P) |
3. Javin Richards, 8.12. |
|
60-Meter Hurdles |
3. Javin Richards, 8.09. |
|
Pole Vault |
1. Logan Hammer, 5.58 meters (18-3.75); 4. Marshall Rasmussen, 4.98 meters (16-4); 6. Ethan Hammer, 4.98 meters (16-4); 7. Javin Richards, 4.98 meters (16-4). |
|
Long Jump |
1. Sam Beckwith, 7.19 meters (23-7); 3. Kace Jones, 6.43 meters (21-1.25). |
|
Triple Jump |
Sam Beckwith, DNS. |
|
Shot Put |
2. Joseph Turner, 16.48 meters (54-0.75); 9. Brock Bissegger, 15.38 meters (50-5.5); 12. Caden Reagan, 14.62 meters (47-11.5); 17. Blake Johns, 13.25 meters (43-5.75). |
|
4×400-Meter Relay |
1. Utah State (Diego Aguirre-Stewart, Mathew Hall, Brock Parson, David Konan), 3:21.83. |
USU Women’s Results:
|
Event (Heat) |
USU Finishers |
|
60 Meters (P) |
4. Adia Ross, 7.61; 5. Emmanuella Njenje, 7.62; 6. Nia Moore, 7.63. |
|
60 Meters |
4. Adia Ross, 7.54; 7. Nia Moore, 7.68; Emmanuella Njenje, DNS. |
|
400 Meters |
1. Emmanuella Njenje, 57.06; 2. Lola Smith, 58.58; 3. Elly Jeppsen, 59.05; 5. Ava Smith, 1:00.14. |
|
800 Meters |
1. Lexi Toronto, 2:15.51; 3. Jane Roos, 2:23.25; Liz Phillips, DNF. |
|
Mile |
7. Liz Phillips, 5:14.58; 8. Taylor Palmer, 5:14.68; 11. Carli Nelson, 5:17.61; 12. Meredith Sanford, 5:18.92; 16. Charlotte Felt, 5:25.43; 18. Alayna Wardle, 5:25.86. |
|
3,000 Meters |
3. Hailey Shakespear, 10:08.03; 6. Camilla McKinstry, 10:23.36; Meredith Sanford, DNF; Alayna Wardle, DNF. |
|
60-Meter Hurdles (P) |
1. Krysthina Vlahovic, 8.54; 2. Claire Petersen, 8.66. |
|
60-Meter Hurdles |
1. Krysthina Vlahovic, 8.44; 2. Claire Petersen, 8.51. |
|
Pole Vault |
2. Karina Cooper, 4.04 meters (13-3); 4. Sabrina Fairbanks, 3.79 meters (12-5.25); 5. Lucy Jeppson, 3.79 meters (12-5.25). |
|
Long Jump |
2. Elle Jacobson, 5.45 meters (17-10.5). |
|
Shot Put |
1. Milly Garren, 14.02 meters (45-12); 4. Ruby Jordan, 13.09 meters (42-11.25). |
|
4×400-Meter Relay |
1. Utah State “A” (Shay Jones, Alison Richter, Annie Ivins, Heidi Harper), 3:47.21; 2. Utah State “B” (Elly Jeppsen, Claire Petersen, Ava Smith, Lola Smith), 3:55.86. |
UW Invitational
Dempsey Indoor | Seattle, Washington | January 31, 2026
USU Men’s Results:
|
Event (Section) |
USU Finishers |
|
Mile (Seeded) |
25. Ethan Peterson, 4:06.88; 53. Drew Hogan, 4:11.96; Joshua Armstrong, DNF; Jayden Holdsworth, DNF. |
USU Women’s Results:
|
Event (Section) |
USU Finishers |
|
Mile (Seeded) |
29. Ava Trimble, 4:53.35; 38. Caroline Moon, 4:55.05; 55. Natalie Swain, 4:56.94; Liz Phillips, DNF. |
