CLOVIS, California — Utah State track & field crowned three conference champions and set four school records on the final day of the Mountain West Outdoor Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The Aggie men finished the competition in fourth place with 118 points, their best finish since they placed third with 107 points in 2021. The Utah State women used a bronze medal in the 4x400-meter relay to sneak past New Mexico and take fifth place with 62.5 points, their best finish since securing fifth place with 78 points in 2018.

"What a fantastic day," said Artie Gulden, USU's director of track & field and cross country. "Just like any three-day meet we had some ups and downs, but many more ups than downs. I'm really, really proud of both teams and our coaching staff."

Sophomore Logan Hammer broke the meet, Mountain West and Utah State record to win the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.62 meters (18-5.25). Gulden called the performance phenomenal. 

"I'm just happy that things were able to come together when they needed to," Hammer said. "Just bar by bar. Focusing on, instead of what height I was going to clear, just clear the next bar."

After competing in the decathlon on the first two days of the championships, sophomore Javin Richards took second in the men's pole vault with a mark of 4.97 meters (16-3.5).

"That was crazy," Hammer said. "I'm grateful that I'm able to stand on the podium with him and I'm grateful that he's my teammate."

Junior Maddie Edwards earned gold in the women's 400-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 57.22. She is the first outdoor champion for the Aggie women since Brenn Flint in the shot put in 2019.

"It feels so good to see all the hard work pay off," Edwards said. "I just tried to run with my mind clear and it worked well."

Senior Olivia Smith also scored in the event for the Aggies by taking fifth with a time of 59.28. Junior Adi Nielson finished ninth with a time of 1:03.10.

"We were just all so excited we made it here together," Edwards said. "We race each other all the time but it's just so fun to see each other succeed."

Junior Godwin Charles broke his own school record with a mark of 15.88 meters (52-1.25) to win the gold medal in the men's triple jump.

"I just wanted to come and do something big," Charles said. "This journey hasn't been easy. I've experienced a lot of loss for my family, I've lost three brothers in two months, and coming out here, I just wanted to win and make myself proud because I've put in so much work. From the help of my coaches, they have done a lot of work."

Freshman Joseph Turner won the silver medal in the men's discus with a personal record throw of 55.39 meters (181-8). That mark ranks sixth all-time in USU history.

"Going 55 meters was a goal the whole season," Turner said. "To be able to do it in the last throw of conference was a really sweet way to do it."

Senior Gavin Beierle collected his second bronze medal of the championships as he took third in the men's discus with a PR mark of 54.36 meters (178-4). Junior Nate Franz also scored for the Aggies by taking sixth with a mark of 51.47 meters (168-10).

"We've seen lots of the guys and girls do a lot of incredible things and overall everyone has just done so well," Turner said. "It just makes me so happy for them. It makes me just proud to be their teammate."

Freshman Landon Bott took second in the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:49.52. He passed several competitors in the last turn to make the podium.

"I wanted it," Bott said. "I knew I put myself in a good position to pass those guys and make the last effort and the only thing that was going through my head was, 'Keep on driving. Step after step. Just keep going all the way through the finish.'"

Bott has now won a silver medal in both the indoor and outdoor MW Championships this season as a walk-on.

"It's great that the program and the coach have been able to push me so far," Bott said. "I'm just overjoyed at how this season has gone for me."

In the women's 100-meter hurdles, senior Abbey Bryant took third with a time of 13.41 to win bronze for the second year in a row.

"I'm grateful to represent Utah State on the podium today," Bryant said. "It's not what I wanted but I'm proud of myself. I did it and I'm the third-place champion two years in a row."

Sophomore Krysthina Vlahovic and Edwards also scored in the event for the Aggies taking sixth and eighth with times of 13.72 and 13.90, respectively. 

"To be able to have three of us in the finals it puts our odds stacked against everybody else," Bryant said. "I'm very proud of my teammates. I'm very blessed to have been able to train, run, compete and cross the finish line with them."

The Aggie women finished third in the women's 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:39.88 to boost USU to fifth in the last event of the competition. Nielsen, Smith, senior Autumn Kidd and Edwards ran the relay.

"I'm so proud of our 4x400-meter relay women who ran with such guts to be able to get us from sixth to fifth in the team standings," Gulden said.

Senior Mattie Geddes broke her own school record as she took fourth in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:06.45.

In the women's triple jump, Sidnee Naerebout took seventh with a PR mark of 12.36 meters (40-6.75). That mark ranks fourth all-time in school history.

Junior Camren Todd took fourth in the men's 5,000 meters with a time of 13:59.83. Sophomore LJ Floyd finished seventh with a time of 14:06.17.

Other scorers for Utah State included junior Mimi Miyazawa in the women's 1,500 meters (seventh, 4:26.61), freshman Madeline Carmona in the women's high jump (tied for eighth, 1.63 meters (5-4.25)), senior Inka Mehtola in the women's high jump (tied for eighth, 1.63 meters (5-4.25)), sophomore Rylan Anderson in the men's 400 meters (seventh, 47.71), senior Spencer Nelson in the men's 1,500 meters (sixth, 3:47.18), and the Utah State team in the men's 4x400-meter relay (fifth, 3:14.84). The relay was run by Anderson, sophomore Carter Guiness, Bott and Richards. 

On Wednesday, the Aggies that have qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries will be announced. The competition takes place Wednesday through Saturday, May 22-25, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Fans can follow the Utah State track & field programs at twitter.com/USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at instagram.com/USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics. 

Mountain West Outdoor Championships
Veterans Memorial Stadium | Clovis, California | May 11, 2024

USU Women's Results:
Discus - 12. Milly Garren, 43.00 meters (141-1).
Triple Jump - 7. Sidnee Naerebout, 12.36 meters (40-6.75); 13. Breanna Raven, 11.90 meters (39-0.5).
High Jump - T-8. Inka Mehtola, 1.63 meters (5-4.25); T-8. Madeline Carmona, 1.63 meters (5-4.25); T-15. Hannah Lybbert, 1.58 meters (5-2.25).
4x100-Meter Relay - Utah State (Abbey Bryant, Autumn Kidd, Maddie Edwards, Olivia Smith), DNF.
1,500 Meters - 7. Mimi Miyazawa, 4:26.61; 10. Natalie Swain, 4:33.00.
100-Meter Hurdles - 3. Abbey Bryant, 13.41; 6. Krysthina Vlahovic, 13.72; 8. Maddie Edwards, 13.90.
800 Meters - 4. Mattie Geddes, 2:06.45.
400-Meter Hurdles - 1. Maddie Edwards, 57.22; 5. Olivia Smith, 59.28; 9. Adi Nielson, 1:03.10.
5,000 Meters - 16. Sarah Ellis, 16:55.31; 20. Natalie Swain, 16:59.32; Mimi Miyazawa, DNF; Megumi Ludlow, DNS; Ana Weaver, DNS; Emma Thornley, DNS; Abby Jensen, DNS; Bailey Brinkerhoff-Todd, DNS.
4x400-Meter Relay - 3. Utah State (Adi Nielson, Olivia Smith, Autumn Kidd, Maddie Edwards), 3:39.88.


USU Men's Results:
Discus - 2. Joseph Turner, 55.39 meters (181-8); 3. Gavin Beierle, 54.36 meters (178-4); 6. Nate Franz, 51.47 meters (168-10).
Pole Vault - 1. Logan Hammer, 5.62 meters (18-5.25); 2. Javin Richards, 4.97 meters (16-3.5); 9. Robbie Walker, 4.57 meters (15-0); Caden Dupee, NH.
4x100-Meter Relay - 6. Utah State (Joseph Douglas, Rylan Anderson, Carter Guiness, Joshua Hartvigsen), 42.47.
1,500 Meters - 6. Spencer Nelson, 3:47.18; 11. Wyatt Evans, 3:50.46.
Triple Jump - 1. Godwin Charles, 15.88 meters (52-1.25).
400 Meters - 7. Rylan Anderson, 47.71.
800 Meters - 2. Landon Bott, 1:49.52.
5,000 Meters - 4. Camren Todd, 13:59.83; 7. LJ Floyd, 14:06.17; 14. Bridger Altice, 14:29.06; John Simmons, DNS; Spencer Nelson, DNS; Mark Crandall, DNS; Max Wehrli, DNS; Logan Garnica, DNS.
4x400-Meter Relay - 5. Utah State (Rylan Anderson, Carter Guiness, Landon Bott, Javin Richards), 3:14.84.

-USU-