FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Senior
Logan Hammer secured his third-straight trip to the national championships in the pole vault as the Utah State track & field team advanced one of their seven competing athletes on the second day of the 2026 NCAA West First Rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Thursday.
On a wet and windy Thursday in Arkansas, Hammer battled the elements to earn a seventh-place finish in the men's pole vault, clearing 5.37 meters (17-7.25). Hammer entered the competition at the height and cleared the bar on his second attempt to claim his spot in the national finals. The four-time All-American became the fifth Aggie to ever qualify for five different national championships and only the third, along with U.S. Olympians and Utah State Hall of Fame selections Chari Hawkins and James Parker, to do so consecutively.
"Logan qualifying for five-straight nationals is special," said
Artie Gulden, USU's director of track & field and cross country. "I think that qualifying for indoor and outdoor are very different. Qualifying for outdoors is very difficult because you have to be able to do it on the day, and he's done it on the day three years in a row now."
Senior
Valerie Clark competed in the women's javelin, finishing sixth in the third flight and 17th overall with a throw of 48.87 meters (160-4). In challenging conditions, Clark posted her third-best performance of the 2026 campaign en route to her best career finish at the NCAA prelims. The native of Mona, Utah, finishes her storied career in an Aggie uniform with the Utah State school javelin record, a mark of 53.60 meters (175-10) set at this year's Aggie Invitational, and a MW silver medal.
Sophomore
Shay Jones took fifth place in the second heat of the women's 400-meter first round with a time of 53.11, ultimately placing 32nd in the field. The native of Plano, Texas, wrapped up her remarkable sophomore campaign with the school record in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay, a tie for the program record in the indoor 400 meters, four more top-10 times between the indoor and outdoor seasons and bronze medals at the MW outdoor championships in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay.
Junior
Claire Petersen took seventh in her heat and 42nd overall in the first round of the women's 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 13.87. Petersen entered the field at her first career NCAA prelims seeded 41st. The native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, concluded her breakout junior campaign with top-10 times in USU history in all three hurdling events and three relays, including the school record in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay, and All-MW honors in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay.
Seniors
Marshall Rasmussen and
Javin Richards and freshman
Karina Cooper also competed in the pole vault on Thursday but were unable to clear their respective opening bars. Rasmussen finished his Aggie career with three All-MW accolades across the indoor and outdoor pole vault and the seventh-best marks in USU history in both vaulting events. Richards wrapped up his campaign having claimed MW silver medals in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon. Cooper's inaugural campaign included the third-best performances in Aggie history in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault.
Friday's competition will shift back to the men's squad. Sophomore
Taite Priestley will open the day in the high jump, followed by the 4x100-meter relay team, the trio of graduate
Logan Garnica, junior
Garrett Woodhouse and junior
Michael Amitava Maiorano in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and junior
Landon Bott in the 800-meter quarterfinals. Live coverage will continue from Fayetteville on
ESPN+.
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
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Utah State University Athletics.
2026 NCAA West First Rounds – Day 2
John McDonnell Field | Fayetteville, Arkansas | May 28, 2026
USU Men's Results:
USU Women's Results:
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