LOGAN, Utah — Senior
Emma Thornley broke the Utah State record in the women's 5,000 meters as Utah State track & field athletes claimed 21 individual titles, 48 podium finishes and 11 top-10 performances in school history at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, California, on Friday, and the Aggie Invitational in Logan on Friday and Saturday.
Thornley's record-setting run came in Section 1 of the women's 5,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational, where her record-setting time of 16:01.44 placed fifth overall. The Layton, Utah, native bested the previous record of 16:04.58 set three weeks ago by junior teammate
Sarah Ellis on the same track at the Stanford Invitational. Thornley, who claimed her first school record to go along with her three other school top-10 times, beat her personal best in the event by 59.23 seconds.
Sophomore
Brianne Smith won Section 2 of the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 16:36.61. The Quartz Hill HS product broke into the Utah State record book in the event, originally slotting in ninth before being passed by Thornley later in the evening and settling into 10th. This marks her second school top-10 time, having posted a fifth-ranked 10,000-meter time of 34:08.72 at the Stanford Invitational.
USU athletes had a weekend to remember at the Aggie Invitational. In total, Utah State's athletes amassed 37 personal-best outdoor performances in front of the home crowd, with 35 coming on Saturday.
The long jump pit produced historic performances for the Aggies. Sophomore
Breanna Raven soared into second place in school history behind a meet-winning jump of 6.11 meters (20-0.5). Her mark vaulted her from sixth to second on the all-time list, besting the mark of Olympian Chari Hawkins by a centimeter. Sophomore
Elle Jacobson took third place with a jump of 5.67 meters (18-7.25).
The men's squad produced a tie for second place, with senior
Joshua Hartvigsen and sophomore
Samuel Beckwith each jumping 7.44 meters (24-5) and rising to eighth in school history. The performance marks Hartvigsen's first entry into Utah State's top-10 list in his career, while Beckwith moved up from a tie for 10th all-time in the event.
The women's 4x100-meter relay squad of
Brenly Douglas,
Emma Reeves, Raven, and
Mashaylee Jones improved on their strong performance from last week's Beach Invitational, topping the field with a time of 45.61. The quartet moved from fourth to second in Aggie history, only trailing the 1996 team headlined by two-time Olympian LaDonna Antoine-Watkins. Freshman
Natalie Hadlock, sophomore
Claire Petersen, sophomore
Elle Jacobson and sophomore
Alisabeth Apedaile teamed up to take second place with a time of 47.40.
In the individual 100-meter competitions, three Aggies posted school top-10 times. Freshman
Ayodele Ojo won the men's event with his time of 10.27, which shaved 0.15 seconds off of his previous best and moved him from eighth to fourth in school history. Freshman
Daniel Chase joined Ojo in the record book with his runner-up finishing time of 10.42. Freshman
Diego Aguirre-Stewart completed the podium sweep as he clocked in at 10.59.
On the women's side, Raven produced her third top-10 performance of the day with her runner-up finishing time of 11.87. In her first career 100-meter race, the Springfield, Oregon, native moved into ninth in Aggie history in the event. All six Aggie women set personal bests in the race.
Jones put together a second top-10 performance in the women's 400 meters, winning the event with a time of 54.07 that lofts her into fifth in Aggie history. Freshman
Heidi Harper finished third, clocking in at 57.65.
Ojo claimed his second top-10 time with his victory in the 200-meter invitational. His time of 20.98 edged out Aguirre-Stewart by 0.02 seconds and moved him into a tie for ninth in Aggie history.
The USU men swept the podium in the 5,000 meters, with sophomore
Joshua McKee winning in 14:27.18 to break the 52-year-old Ralph Maughan Track Stadium facility record of 14:29.20. Senior
Eric Nelson posted a runner-up time of 14:29.57, while sophomore
Joseph McKee placed third in 14:41.92. On the women's side, freshman
Meredith Sanford claimed the top spot with a time of 18:13.14.
Veteran Aggies picked up a pair of individual titles in the hurdling events. Junior
Krysthina Vlahovic added another strong performance to her excellent season, winning the women's 100-meter hurdles in a time of 13.56. Senior
Adi Nielson won the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:00.36.
Utah State swept the podium in both 800-meter competitions. Graduate
Brennan Benson led the men with a time of 1:49.93, followed by juniors
Ernest Green and Samuel Green who finished in 1:50.33 and 1:51.12, respectively. Junior
Alison Richter topped the women's field with her time of 2:10.53. She was followed by sophomore
Jocelyn Capener, who ran 2:14.61, and freshman
Erin Higgs, who finished in 2:14.78.
Senior
Wyatt Evans won the men's 1,500 meters with his finishing time of 3:50.58. He was followed by junior
Drew Hogan, who finished in 3:52.61, and freshman
Luke Stockett, who rounded out the podium in 3:53.89.
Graduate
Hannah Davidson claimed the top spot in the women's 1,500 meters, finishing in 4:32.60. Sophomore
Caroline Moon followed her with a time of 4:33.75.
Aggie women claimed the top two spots in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as freshman
Alayna Wardle ran a time of 11:42.66 to beat out sophomore
Brooklyn Hill, who clocked in at 11:48.21.
Junior
Milly Garren claimed a pair of podium finishes on Saturday as she competed in her hometown. The Logan HS product finished third in the discus with a personal-best distance of 48.36 meters (158-08) and third in the shot put with her heave of 14.65 meters (48-0.75).
Senior
Nate Franz won the men's shot put competition, posting a personal-best mark of 17.92 meters (58-9.5).
Aggie freshmen topped the field in both the men's and women's high jump.
Taite Priestley won the men's event with a height of 2.06 meters (6-9), while
Presley Gray claimed the women's title with her clearance of 1.66 meters (5-5.25).
Senior
Mikayla Dalton, freshman
Abbie Scott and freshman
Lucy Jeppson each cleared 3.58 meters (11-9) in the women's pole vault, with Dalton and Scott claiming second and third place, respectively, based on tiebreakers.
The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Harper, Higgs, freshman
Ava Smith and Capener rounded out the proceedings with a meet-best time of 3:54.72.
The Aggie Invitational started on a blustery Friday in Logan, where sophomore
Walker Deede continued his run of sustained excellence in the men's javelin with a meet-best mark of 65.15 meters (213-09). Sophomore
Kace Jones finished third with a personal-best throw of 60.70 meters (199-01).
The conditions worsened in Logan, with lightning in the vicinity of Ralph Maughan Track Stadium delaying the meet by an hour and a half. Following the delay, Garren set a personal-best mark of 55.53 meters (182-02) en route to a second-place finish in the women's hammer throw competition, her first of three podium finishes at the meet.
Senior
Valerie Clark won the women's javelin competition with a throw of 44.60 meters (146-04). Clark, who ranks second all-time at Utah State in the event, posted the best throw by an Aggie this season and her best throw since returning from an injury that sidelined her for the entire 2024 campaign. Graduate
Melissa Navarro took third place with a throw of 41.73 meters (136-11).
Two other Ralph Maughan Track Stadium facility records fell on Saturday. BYU's Gretchen Hoekstre set the women's shot put record with a mark of 17.43 meters (57-2.25) and unattached athlete Treyshon Malone jumped 8.18 meters (26-10) to set the men's long jump record.
Utah State will travel south next week for the Robison Invitational in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday-Friday, April 30-May 2.
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.
Stanford Invitational
Angell Track and Cobb Field | Stanford, California | April 25, 2025
USU Men's Results:
| Event (Section) |
USU Finishers |
| 5,000 Meters (Section 2) |
6. Camren Todd, 14:01.60. |
USU Women's Results:
Aggie Invitational
Ralph Maughan Track Stadium | Logan, Utah | April 25, 2025
USU Men's Results:
| Event (Section) |
USU Finishers |
| 100 Meters |
1. Ayodele Ojo, 10.27; 2. Daniel Chase, 10.42; 3. Diego Aguirre-Stewart, 10.59; 10. Caden Dupee, 11.44. |
| 200 Meters (Invitational) |
1. Ayodele Ojo, 20.98; 2. Diego Aguirre-Stewart, 21.00; 4. Daniel Chase, 21.86. |
| 400 Meters |
Josiah Gonzalez, DQ. |
| 800 Meters |
1. Brennan Benson, 1:49.93; 2. Ernest Green, 1:50.33; 3. Sam Green, 1:51.12; 4. Carson Coleman, 1:52.76;
Landon Bott, DNF. |
| 1,500 Meters |
1. Wyatt Evans, 3:50.58; 2. Drew Hogan, 3:52.61; 3. Luke Stockett, 3:53.89; 4. Caleb Armstrong, 3:56.65;
Joshua Armstrong, DNF. |
| 5,000 Meters |
1. Joshua McKee, 14:27.18; 2. Eric Nelson, 14:29.57; 3. Joseph McKee, 14:41.92; 4. Jedidiah Megargel, 14:48.88;
5. Walker Cole, 15:06.12; 7. Britton Austin, 15:28.68; 8. Mitchell Athay, 16:07.75; Michael Moffat, DNF. |
| 110-Meter Hurdles |
7. Javin Richards, 14.95. |
| 4x100-Meter Relay |
Utah State (Diego Aguirre-Stewart, Daniel Chase, Ayodele Ojo, Javin Richards), DNS. |
| High Jump |
1. Taite Priestley, 2.06 meters (6-9); Robbie Walker, DNS. |
| Pole Vault |
4. Robbie Walker, 4.59 meters (15-0.75). |
| Long Jump |
2. Joshua Hartvigsen, 7.44 meters (24-5); 3. Samuel Beckwith, 7.44 meters (24-5);
5. Caden Dupee, 6.82 meters (22-4.5); 6. Javin Richards, 6.51 meters (21-4.25). |
| Shot Put |
1. Nate Franz, 17.92 meters (58-9.5); 7. Joseph Turner, 14.75 meters (48-4.75);
8. Brock Bissegger, 14.01 meters (45-11.5). |
| Discus Throw |
4. Nate Franz, 51.43 meters (168-8.75); 7. Joseph Turner, 48.67 meters (159-8.25);
8. Caden Reagan, 48.48 meters (159-0.75); 10. Brock Bissegger, 45.26 meters (148-6). |
| Javelin Throw |
1. Walker Deede, 65.15 meters (213-9); 3. Kace Jones, 60.7 meters (199-1); 4. Caden Dupee, 59.17 meters (194-1). |
USU Women's Results:
| Event (Heat) |
USU Finishers |
| 100 Meters |
2. Breanna Raven, 11.87; 4. Brenly Douglas, 12.01; 5. Claire Petersen, 12.04; 9. Krysthina Vlahovic, 12.35;
12. Natalie Hadlock, 12.73; 13. Alisabeth Apedaile, 12.90; Camryn Ere, DNS. |
| 200 Meters |
5. Heidi Harper, 25.48; 7. Brenly Douglas, 25.87; 8. Sophie Chandler, 25.90; Mashaylee Jones, SCR;
Camryn Ere, SCR; Breanna Raven, SCR; Emma Reeves, SCR. |
| 400 Meters |
1. Mashaylee Jones, 54.07; 3. Heidi Harper, 57.65. |
| 800 Meters |
1. Alison Richter, 2:10.53; 2. Jocelyn Capener, 2:14.61; 3. Erin Higgs, 2:14.78; 4. Julia Stuard, 2:17.68;
Caroline Moon, DNF. |
| 1,500 Meters |
1. Hannah Davidson, 4:32.60; 2. Caroline Moon, 4:33.75; 5. Allie Black, 5:02.36; Shelby Jensen, DNF. |
| 5,000 Meters |
1. Meredith Sanford, 18:13.14; Elizabeth Phillips, DNF. |
| 100-Meter Hurdles |
1. Krysthina Vlahovic, 13.56; 5. Claire Petersen, 14.16; 17. Alisabeth Apedaile, 15.63; Adi Nielson, DNS. |
| 400-Meter Hurdles |
1. Adi Nielson, 1:00.36; 5. Ava Smith, 1:02.56. |
| 3,000-Meter Steeplechase |
1. Alayna Wardle, 11:42.66; 2. Brooklyn Hill, 11:48.21. |
| High Jump |
1. Presley Gray, 1.66 meters (5-5.25); 4. Sophie Chandler, 1.56 meters (5-1.5). |
| Pole Vault |
2. Mikayla Dalton, 3.58 meters (11-9); 3. Abbie Scott, 3.58 meters (11-9); 4. Lucy Jeppson, 3.58 meters (11-9);
6. Katerina Aguero, 3.28 meters (10-9.25); 7. Gabi Fenn, 3.28 meters (10-9.25). |
| Long Jump |
1. Breanna Raven, 6.11 meters (20-0.5); 3. Elle Jacobson, 5.67 meters (18-7.25); 9. Lucy Jeppson, 4.29 meters (14-1). |
| Shot Put |
3. Milly Garren, 14.65 meters (48-0.75); 7. Ruby Jordan, 13.17 meters (43-2.5);
12. Reagan Trulson, 11.64 meters (38-2.25); 14. Sophie Chandler, 10.33 meters (33-10.75). |
| Discus Throw |
3. Milly Garren, 48.36 meters (158-8); 10. Ruby Jordan, 39.92 meters (130-11.75);
13. Mackenzie Patten, 37.19 meters (122-0.25); 18. Reagan Trulson, 30.27 meters (99-3.75). |
| Hammer Throw |
2. Milly Garren, 55.53 meters (182-2.25); 4. Ruby Jordan, 52.72 meters (172-11.5);
9. Mackenzie Patten, 43.98 meters (144-3.5); 14. Reagan Trulson, 39.83 meters (130-8). |
| Javelin Throw |
1. Valerie Clark, 44.6 meters (146-4); 3. Melissa Navarro, 41.73 meters (136-11);
4. Symphony Fike, 41.61 meters (136-6); 5. Paige Lila Berg, 40.16 meters (131-9);
6. Madison Tareski, 38.46 meters (126-2); Mikayla Dalton, DNS. |
| 4x100-Meter Relay |
1. Utah State "A" (Brenly Douglas, Emma Reeves, Breanna Raven, Mashaylee Jones), 45.61;
2. Utah State "B" (Natalie Hadlock, Claire Petersen, Elle Jacobson, Alisabeth Apedaile), 47.40. |
| 4x400-Meter Relay |
1. Utah State "B" (Heidi Harper, Erin Higgs, Ava Smith, Jocelyn Capener), 3:54.72;
Utah State "A" (Alison Richter, Mashaylee Jones, Emma Reeves, Adi Nielson), DNS. |
-USU-
