RENO, Nevada — Utah State track & field won six titles, earned 16 podium finishes and posted five performances that rank in the top 10 all-time in school history at the Nevada Invitational in Reno, Nevada, which was held January 24-25.
"We had another week with some top-10 marks," said
Artie Gulden, USU's director of track & field and cross country. "The kids in the multis started things off well for us."
Junior
Javin Richards won the heptathlon competition, accumulating a personal-best 5,214 points that ranks third in Utah State history. Graduate
Caden Dupee placed second with 5,179 points, finishing just 13 points shy of his own personal record. Richards claimed the top place in the 60 meters with a time of 7.06 and in the pole vault, where his clearance of 5.20 meters (17-0.75) was the sixth-best Aggie performance ever. Dupee finished first in the shot put with a personal-best heave of 13.80 meters (45-3.5) and finished third or better in six of the seven events.
On the women's side, junior
Sophie Chandler compiled a season-high 3,444 points in the pentathlon. She had a pair of personal-best performances, running the 60-meter hurdles in 9.25 and the 800 meters with a time of 2:23.89 that placed second in the competition.
Utah State's men's middle-distance runners dominated the weekend, winning three individual titles and claiming nine top-four finishes in the 600 meters, 800 meters and mile.
On Friday, graduate
Brennan Benson won the 800 meters in 1:48.67, the third-fastest time in school history. Sophomore
Landon Bott, who previously held that honor, finished second in 1:50.37, and juniors
Sam Green and
Ernest Green finished third and fourth with finishing times of 1:15.59 and 1:51.67, respectively.
"The performance of the meet came from Brennan in the 800 meters," said Gulden. "He should be sitting in the top-15 in the NCAA after this weekend. It was a great race."
Saturday's competition in the 600 meters saw
Sam Green claim the top place with a time of 1:18.98, followed by Bott's third-place time of 1:19.70 and
Ernest Green's fourth-place finishing time of 1:20.61. All three Aggie runners won their individual heats.
Utah State finished the trio of races with a flourish, as sophomore
Joshua Armstrong won the competition and broke the Reno-Sparks Convention Center facility record with a time of 4:08.02. Junior
Caleb Armstrong placed second with a time of 4:11.81.
Sophomore
Breanna Raven leapt up the USU record book in the women's long jump with her distance of 5.88 meters (19-3.5). Her performance ranks as the fifth-best long jump in school history. She added a season-best 11.86 meters (38-11) in the triple jump to finish fifth in the competition.
Freshman
Diego Aguirre-Stewart made his first foray into the Utah State record books, putting up a time of 21.31 in the 200 meters that ranks seventh in school history.
Senior
Kelton Chenworth had a strong performance in the men's high jump, winning the event with a season-high height of 2.05 meters (6-8.75).
Utah State's pole vaulters added a pair of second-place finishes and a third-place finish. Freshman
Abbie Scott continued her run of success in the women's pole vault with a clearance of 3.90 meters (12-9.5), her third straight meet reaching that mark. In the men's competition, junior
Logan Hammer's height of 5.25 meters (17-2.75) was bested only by reigning All-American Max Manson. He was joined on the podium by junior
Marshall Rasmussen, who finished in a tie for third with a height of 4.75 meters (15-7).
USU also saw success in the women's mile run, where freshmen
Cailey Bracken and
Jane Williams placed first and second in the Section 2 race with times of 5:04.67 and 5:06.55, respectively. Their times ranked third and fourth across all three sections of the mile run at the meet.
In the women's 3,000 meters, junior
Megumi Ludlow placed second in the event with a personal-best time of 10:08.63.
Next week, Utah State will split its squad between the UW Invitational in Seattle, Washington, on Friday and Saturday, January 31-February 1, and the USU-hosted Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Invitational on Saturday, February 1, at the Nelson Fieldhouse in Logan, Utah. Admission will be free to the public.
Fans can follow the Utah State track and field programs on X at
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USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on X at
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Utah State University Athletics.
Nevada Invitational
Reno-Sparks Convention Center | Reno, Nevada | January 24-25, 2025
USU Men's Individual Results:
| 60 Meters (Silver) |
9. Ayodele Ojo, 6.87; 10. Diego Aguirre, 6.87. |
| 60 Meters (Blue) |
10. Josh Hartvigsen, 7.13. |
| 200 Meters |
6. Diego Aguirre, 21.31; 25. Ayodele Ojo, 21.97; 39. Samuel Beckwith, 22.95. |
| 400 Meters |
5. Diego Aguirre, 49.65. |
| 600 Meters |
1. Samuel Green, 1:18.98; 3. Landon Bott, 1:19.70; 4. Ernest Green, 1:20.61. |
| 800 Meters |
1. Brennan Benson, 1:48.67; 2. Landon Bott, 1:50.37; 3. Samuel Green, 1:51.59; 4. Ernest Green, 1:51.67; Josh Armstrong, DNF. |
| Mile (1) |
1. Josh Armstrong, 4:08.02; 2. Caleb Armstrong, 4:11.81; Brennan Benson, DNF. |
| 3,000 Meters |
Caleb Armstrong, DNS. |
| High Jump |
1. Kelton Chenworth, 2.05 meters (6-8.75); 5. Taite Priestley, 1.95 meters (6-4.75). |
| Long Jump |
12. Samuel Beckwith, 6.86 meters (22-6); 13. Josh Hartvigsen, 6.85 meters (22-5.75). |
| Pole Vault |
2. Logan Hammer, 5.25 meters (17-2.75); 3. Marshall Rasmussen, 4.75 meters (15-7); 8. Robbie Walker, 4.60 meters (15-1). |
| Shot Put |
Brock Bissegger, FOUL; Nate Franz, DNS. |
| Weight Throw |
11. Joseph Turner, 16.06 meters (52-8.25). |
USU Women's Individual Results:
| Event (Heat) |
USU Finishers |
| 60 Meters (Silver) |
18. Camryn Ere, 7.78; 21. Brenly Douglas, 7.83; 23. Claire Peterson, 7.87; Emma Reeves, DNS. |
| 60-Meter Hurdles (Silver) |
12. Krysthina Vlahovic, 8.76; 15. Claire Peterson, 8.81; 19. Alisabeth Apedaile, 9.02. |
| 200 Meters |
10. Camryn Ere, 24.55; 45. Brenly Douglas, 26.32. |
| 400 Meters |
4. Adi Nielson, 56.5; 8. Alison Richter, 57.37; 12. Elly Jeppsen, 58.15. |
| Mile (2) |
1. Cailey Bracken, 5:04.67; 2. Jane Willians, 5:06.55; Megumi Ludlow, DNS. |
| 3,000 Meters |
2. Megumi Ludlow, 10:08.63. |
| 4x400-Meter Relay |
6. Utah State (Alison Richter, Adi Nielson, Camryn Ere, Elly Jeppsen), 3:49.64. |
| High Jump |
14. Madeline Carmona, 1.63 meters (5-4.25); Presley Gray, NH. |
| Long Jump |
8. Breanna Raven, 5.88 meters (19-3.5). |
| Pole Vault |
2. Abbie Scott, 3.90 meters (12-9.5); 9. Lucy Jeppson, 3.45 meters (11-3.75); 16. Mikayla Dalton, 3.45 meters (11-3.75); Gabreilla Fenn, NH. |
| Shot Put |
5. Milly Garren, 14.09 meters (46-2.75); 12. Ruby Jordan, 13.00 meters (42-7.75). |
| Triple Jump |
5. Breanna Raven, 11.86 meters (38-11). |
| Weight Throw |
5. Milly Garren, 16.63 meters (54-6.75); 7. Ruby Jordan, 15.75 meters (51-8); 21. Mackenzie Patten, 13.79 meters (45-3). |
USU Men's Multis Results:
| Event |
USU Finishers |
| Heptathlon |
1. Javin Richards, 5,214 points; 2. Caden Dupee, 5,179 points. |
| 1,000 Meters |
2. Caden Dupee, 2:54.99; 4. Javin Richards, 3:01.08. |
| 60 Meters |
1. Javin Richards, 7.06; 7. Caden Dupee, 7.36. |
| 60-Meter Hurdles |
2. Javin Richards, 8.74; 3. Caden Dupee, 8.77. |
| High Jump |
3. Caden Dupee, 1.83 meters (6-0); 4. Javin Richards, 1.80 meters (5-10.75). |
| Long Jump |
2. Caden Dupee, 6.73 meters (22-1); 4. Javin Richards, 6.52 meters (21-4.75). |
| Pole Vault |
1. Javin Richards, 5.20 meters (17-0.75); 2. Caden Dupee, 4.60 meters (15-1). |
| Shot Put |
1. Caden Dupee, 13.80 meters (45-3.25); 6. Javin Richards, 11.80 meters (38-8.5). |
USU Women's Multis Results:
-USU-
