Hall of Fame
JAMES PARKER
Hometown: Layton, Utah
Sports: Track & Field
Years: 1995, 1999-2001
James Parker is the most decorated athlete in Utah State history earning All-American track honors a school-record nine times. During his Aggie career, Parker was a four-time All-American in the indoor 35-pound weight throw (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001), a four-time All-American in the hammer throw (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001) and an All-American in the discus (2001). Parker was also a seven-time Big West Conference champion in the discus (1995, 1999), hammer throw (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001) and shot put (1995), and was named the Big West's Male Athlete of the Year in 1995, along with being a two-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Champion in the weight throw (2000, 2001). During his collegiate career, Parker set still standing indoor school records in the shot put (18.34m/60-2.25) and weight throw (21.57m/70-9.25), and outdoor school records in the discus (58.56m/192-1) and hammer throw (73.32m/240-7). His best NCAA Championship was a runner-up finish in the hammer throw as a senior, and a fourth-place finish in the same event as a junior. As a professional, Parker won three consecutive USA hammer throw titles from 2003-05, was the 2004 USA Indoor weight throw champion and was the silver medalist in the hammer throw at the 2003 Pan Am Games. His personal-best of 79.20 meters in the hammer throw ranks seventh all-time in the United States.
