Utah State University Athletics

Javin Richards | TFRRS Profile
HONORS: All-Mountain West Indoor: Pole Vault (2024), Heptathlon (2026); All-Mountain West Outdoor: Decathlon (2024, 2026), Pole Vault (2024, 2025); Mountain West Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (5/5/26); USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2025, 2026); CSC Academic All-District (2025, 2026); Academic All-Mountain West (2024, 2025, 2026); Mountain West Scholar-Athlete (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026); USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

INDOOR RECORDS: Owns the Utah State record in the heptathlon with 5,536 points, set in 2026… Ranks sixth all-time at USU in the pole vault with a clearance of 5.25 meters (17-2.75), set in 2025… Ranks ninth all-time at USU in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.09, set in 2026.

OUTDOOR RECORDS: Ranks second all-time at USU in the decathlon with 7,322 points, set in 2026… Ranks fourth all-time at USU in the pole vault with a clearance of 5.30 meters (17-4.75), set in 2025… Member of the second-fastest 4x100-meter relay team at USU with a time of 39.48, set in 2026.

2026 (SR)
Indoor: Placed third in the heptathlon and fourth in the pole vault at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, respectively posting an overall score of 5,457 points and a clearance of 5.15 meters (16-10.75), receiving All-MW honors in the heptathlon… Set a season best in the pole vault during the heptathlon competition, clearing 5.20 meters (17-0.75) to help secure his heptathlon bronze medal… Finished third in the 60-meter hurdles at the USU-hosted Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Invitational with a personal-best time of 8.09, which ranks ninth all-time in program history… Broke the Utah State record in the heptathlon as he placed second with an overall score of 5,536 points at the BYU December Invitational, fueled by his personal-best 60 meters of 6.88, 1,000 meters of 2:52.41, long jump of 6.93 meters (22-9) and shot put of 12.43 meters (40-9.5).
Outdoor: Qualified for the NCAA West First Rounds in the pole vault for the second-straight season… Named to the All-Mountain West team in the decathlon… Won silver in the decathlon at the MW Outdoor Championships with 7,254 points while setting a personal-best time in the 110-meter hurdles of 14.79… Won the decathlon at the BYU Robison Invitational with a personal-best overall score of 7,322 points (ranks second all-time at USU), setting personal-bests of 47.60 in the 400 meters, 13.03 meters (42-9) in the shot put, 35.03 meters (114-11) in the discus and 50.55 meters (165-10) in the javelin… Earned MW Men’s Field Athlete of the Week accolades on May 5… Part of USU’s winning 4x100-meter relay team at the Long Beach State-hosted Pacific Coast Invitational, finishing in a personal-best time of 39.48, which ranks second-fastest in program history… Posted a personal-best long jump of 6.79 meters (22-3.5) in the decathlon competition at the Azusa Pacific-hosted Bryan Clay Multis, placing sixth with an overall score of 7,203 points… Cleared 5.30 meters (17-4.75) in the pole vault, tying his personal best and program fourth all-time height, as he placed third at the Stanford Invitational… Won the pole vault with a jump of 5.15 meters (16-10.75) and placed fifth in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 21.44 at the UVU Collegiate Invitational… USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honoree… CSC Academic All-District… Earned Academic All-MW recognition… MW Scholar-Athlete… USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete.
 

2025 (JR)
Indoor: Placed fourth in the heptathlon at the Mountain West Indoor Championships with a season-best overall score of 5,330 points, fueled by season-best performances in the 60 meters (6.96), 1,000 meters (2:54.09), long jump (6.65 meters (21-9.75)) and shot put (11.84 meters (38-10.25))… Took fourth in the pole vault at the conference championships with a clearance of 5.11 meters (16-9.25)… Finished first in his section of the pole vault at the Arkansas-hosted Tyson Invitational with a personal-best jump of 5.25 meters (17-2.75), which ranks sixth all-time in school history… Won the heptathlon competition at the Nevada Invitational with an overall score of 5,214 points… Set a personal best in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:22.76 as USU placed second at the Idaho State-hosted Snake River Open… Posted a personal-best high jump of 1.86 meters (6-1.25) during the heptathlon competition at the BYU December Invitational, ultimately finishing second overall with 5,206 points.
Outdoor: Placed 33rd in the pole vault at the NCAA West First Rounds with a clearance of 5.02 meters (16-5.5), earning All-Mountain West honors in the event… Finished third in the pole vault at the MW Outdoor Championships with a height of 4.96 meters (16-3.25)… Set a season best in the shot put with a mark of 11.96 meters (39-3) as he placed fifth among decathletes at the BYU-hosted Robison Invitational… Ran a season-best time of 14.95 in the 110-meter hurdles at the Utah State-hosted Aggie Invitational, placing seventh… Posted a season-best overall score of 7,101 points in the decathlon as he placed fifth at the Azusa Pacific-hosted Bryan Clay Multis, including a season-best time of 10.85 in the 100 meters… Set a personal best in the pole vault of 5.30 meters (17-4.75) and a season best in the 4x100-meter relay of 40.72 at the Texas State-hosted Bobcat Invitational, placing second and seventh, respectively… Posted a season-best long jump of 6.76 meters (22-2.25) at the Utah Tech Invitational, finishing third… USTFCCCA All-Academic Team selection… CSC Academic All-District… Received Academic All-MW honors… MW Scholar-Athlete… USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete.
 

2024 (SO)
Indoor: Received All-Mountain west recognition in the pole vault… Placed third in the pole vault with a season-best mark of 4.96 meters (16-3.25) and fifth in the heptathlon with a season-best 4,980 points, which is tied for eighth in school history, while setting season bests in the heptathlon 1,000 meters with a time of 2:55.60 (fifth) and heptathlon long jump with a mark of 6.33 meters (20-9.25) (ninth) at the MW Indoor Championships… Set a personal best in the 600 meters with a time of 1:35.08 as he finished 12th at the Utah State-hosted Roman Ruiz Speed and Power Meet… Placed 10th in the 400 meters with a career-best time of 51.04 at the Weber State Invitational… Set a season best in the shot put with a mark of 11.10 meters (36-5) (fourth) and 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.45 (second) during the heptathlon at the Idaho State-hosted Snake River Open… During the heptathlon at the BYU December Invitational, set season bests in the 60 meters with a time of 7.13 seconds (third) and high jump, clearing 1.80 meters (5-10.75) (fifth).
Outdoor: Earned All-Mountain West accolades in the decathlon and pole vault, respectively… Finished second in the pole vault with a season-best clearance of 4.97 meters, (16-3.5), fifth in the 4x400-meter relay with a personal-best time of 3:14.84 and third in the decathlon with a season-best 6,731 points, which ranked 10th in school history, while winning the decathlon 400 meters with a season-best time of 49.37 and decathlon pole vault with a clearance of 4.80 meters (15-9) at the MW Outdoor Championships… Set a personal best in the high jump with a clearance of 1.89 meters (6-2.5) and season bests in the long jump with a mark of 6.20 meters (20-4) and shot put with a mark of 11.94 meters (39-2) as he finished fifth in the decathlon with 5,632 points at the BYU-hosted Robison Invitational… Set a personal best in the 400-meter hurdles (fifth, 50.47) and a season best in the 110-meter hurdles (sixth, 15.81) at the Utah State-hosted Aggie Invitational… On his way to taking 10th in his group in the decathlon, set a personal best in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:52.88 and season bests in the javelin with a mark of 47.09 meters (154-6), discus with a throw of 32.87 meters (107-10) and the 100 meters with a time of 10.95 at the Azusa Pacific-hosted Bryan Clay Invitational… Earned Academic All-MW honors… MW Scholar-Athlete… USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete.

2023 (FR)
Indoor: Did not compete during the indoor season.
Outdoor: Did not compete during the outdoor season… Mountain West Scholar-Athlete… USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete.

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-sport athlete across track & field, football, basketball and swimming at Perry (Ohio) High School… Placed fourth in the decathlon at the Adidas Outdoor Nationals in 2022 with a personal-best score of 6,201 points, placing first in the 100 meters (11.08), first in the 400 meters (50.43), 110-meter hurdles (14.81) and shot put (13.04m/52-9.5)… At the 2022 OHSAA D2 State Track and Field Championships, placed second in the pole vault (15-10),  fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.52) and eighth in the 300-meter hurdles (41.54)… Placed second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.15) and third in the pole vault (15-3) at the 2022 OATCCC D2-D3 Indoor State Meet… Won the 300-meter hurdles (38.20) and pole vault (15-6), and finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.32) at the 2021 OHSAA D2 State Track and Field Championships… Won the 60-meter hurdles (8.48) and pole vault (14-6) and finished fourth in the 60 meters (7.23), eighth in the 200 meters (23.58) and ninth in the high jump (5-8) at the 2021 OATCCC D2-D3 Indoor Finale… Across his high school career, recorded personal-best times of 7.19 in the 60 meters, 11.04 in the 100 meters, 22.73 in the 200 meters, 50.43 in the 400 meters, 5:28.96 in the 1,600 meters, 8.15 in the 60-meter hurdles, 14.52 in the 110-meter hurdles, 38.03 in the 300-meter hurdles, 42-9.5 in the shot put, 115-5 in the discus, 137-7.5 in the javelin, 5-10 in the high jump, 15-10 in the pole vault, 20-1 in the long jump and 6,201 in the decathlon.

PERSONAL: Son of Layne and Chandice Richards… Has three younger brothers… Both parents competed in track and field at Southern Utah University… Younger brother, Brayden, is a member of the Air Force track and field team… Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in May 2026… Pursuing a master’s degree in management information systems.

PERSONAL BESTS INCLUDE: