LOGAN, Utah — Utah State track & field claimed two titles and eight podium finishes while posting eight performances that rank in the top-10 in school history at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida, and the Stanford Invitational in Stanford, California, on Friday and Saturday.
Sophomore Shay Jones set a personal-best time for the fifth consecutive meet as she took ninth place in the 400 meters at the Florida Relays on Saturday, clocking in at 52.53. In her first race at the distance in the outdoor season, Jones moved from fifth to second in Utah State history in the event, trailing only two-time Olympian LaDonna Antoine-Watkins’ time of 51.48 from 1997.
On Friday, the women’s 4×400-meter relay team of junior Claire Petersen, sophomore Heidi Harper, graduate Annie Ivins and Jones ran the third-fastest time in USU history, crossing the line in 3:39.25 to place fourth in the second heat and 10th overall in the field.
Ivins followed up her relay performance with a strong showing in Saturday’s women’s 800 meters. The Utah transfer clocked in at 2:09.62 to vault into eighth in school history in the event and place 41st in the field.
In California, sophomore Taite Priestley bested the men’s high jump field with his clearance of 2.07 meters (6-9.5), claiming his fourth event title in seven meets across the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Freshman Brock Bissegger topped the field by over five feet in the collegiate section of the men’s shot put, uncorking a personal-best throw of 16.81 meters (55-2) in his sixth and final attempt. The Brigham City, Utah, native improved on his previous top throw by over three feet as he claimed his first collegiate event title.
The distance squad took center stage for the first time in the outdoor season. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, graduate Logan Garnica, who holds the Utah State record in the event, took 11th in a top-tier men’s field of 45 runners with a time of 8:41.47. Junior Garrett Woodhouse placed sixth in the competition’s second section, finishing in a personal-best 8:46.45 to improve on his seventh-place standing in USU history.
In the third section of the women’s 5,000 meters, senior Sarah Ellis kept a steady pace en route to a 10th-place finish, crossing the line in 16:06.27. Junior teammate Natalie Swain started strong, slotting as high as second place midway through the race, and had enough in the tank to place 16th with a time of 16:24.50 that ranks sixth in Aggie history.
Junior Joshua McKee competed in his first meet of the outdoor season, finishing 12th in the second section of the men’s 10,000 meters with a time of 28:50.58. McKee’s performance boosted him from ninth to fourth in Utah State history at that distance.
On the women’s side, junior Brie Smith posted a 10,000-meter time of 33:52.40, breaking the 34-minute mark for the first time in her career and improving on her fifth-best time in Aggie history, as she took 15th in the second section of the competition.
On the runway, freshman Karina Cooper and sophomore Sabrina Fairbanks each cleared 3.96 meters (12-11.75) in the women’s pole vault, with Cooper placing fourth and Fairbanks finishing sixth in the competition’s invite section on tiebreakers. Fairbanks also moved from seventh to fifth in USU’s all-time top-10 list with her performance.
Seniors Logan Hammer and Javin Richards took second and third in the invitational section of the men’s pole vault, finishing as the top-two Division I vaulters in the field. Hammer cleared 5.50 meters (18-0.5) in his first meet of the outdoor season. Richards matched his personal best of 5.30 meters (17-4.5) in his third-place effort.
Sophomore Caden Reagan earned the best event finish of his USU career in the collegiate section of the men’s discus, setting a personal-best mark of 48.10 meters (157-9).
Junior Walker Deede earned his third-straight podium finish in the javelin, posting a mark of 68.93 meters (226-1) to place third in the invite section at the Stanford Invitational. In the women’s competition, senior Valerie Clark took second place in the collegiate section with her throw of 47.02 meters (154-3).
Junior Sam Beckwith took third place in the men’s long jump, clearing a distance of 7.33 meters (24-0.75).
Utah State will compete at meets across the West, sending multi-event athletes to the Bryan Clay Multis in Azusa, California, and traveling the other event groups to the Weber-Utah Spring Open in Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah. Action from southern California runs from Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, while the Spring Open will take place at Weber State’s Chick Hislop Outdoor Track on Friday, April 10, and Utah’s McCarthey Family Track & Field Complex on Saturday, April 11.
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.
Pepsi Florida Relays
James G. Pressly Stadium, Percy Beard Track | Gainesville, Florida | April 3-4, 2026
USU Men’s Results:
USU Women’s Results:
Event (Round)
USU Participants
100 Meters (P)
50. Adia Ross, 12.13; 55. Nia Moore, 12.31.
400 Meters
9. Shay Jones, 52.53.
800 Meters
41. Annie Ivins, 2:09.62; 51. Sally Roos, 2:11.58.
100-Meter Hurdles (P)
26. Claire Petersen, 14.09; 29. Krysthina Vlahovic, 14.14.
400-Meter Hurdles
Claire Petersen, DNS.
4×100-Meter Relay (P)
Utah State (Claire Petersen, Shay Jones, Nia Moore, Adia Ross), DNF.
4×400-Meter Relay
10. Utah State (Claire Petersen, Heidi Harper, Annie Ivins, Shay Jones), 3:39.25.
Stanford Invitational
Cobb Track and Angell Field | Stanford, California | April 3-4, 2026
USU Men’s Results:
Event (Section)
USU Participants
5,000 Meters (2)
LJ Floyd, DNF.
5,000 Meters (4)
15. Jayden Holdsworth, 14:18.62; 21. Jedidiah Megargel, 14:29.20.
10,000 Meters (2)
12. Joshua McKee, 28:50.58.
110-Meter Hurdles (P)
13. Javin Richards, 15.18.
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (1)
11. Logan Garnica, 8:41.47.
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (2)
6. Garrett Woodhouse, 8:46.45.
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (3)
7. Michael Amitava Maiorano, 8:52.13; 13. Bryce Hill, 9:05.17.
High Jump (High Pit)
1. Taite Priestley, 2.07 meters (6-9.5).
Pole Vault (Invite)
2. Logan Hammer, 5.50 meters (18-0.5); 3. Javin Richards, 5.30 meters (17-4.5); 7. Marshall Rasmussen, 5.10 meters (16-8.75).
Long Jump (Invite)
3. Sam Beckwith, 7.33 meters (24-0.75).
Shot Put (Invite)
7. Joseph Turner, 15.91 meters (52-2.5).
Shot Put (Collegiate)
1. Brock Bissegger, 16.81 meters (55-2); 5. Blake Johns, 15.36 meters (50-4.75); 8. Caden Reagan, 14.49 meters (47-6.5).
Discus (Invite)
5. Joseph Turner, 50.35 meters (165-2); 9. Brock Bissegger, 45.20 meters (148-3).
Discus (Collegiate)
2. Caden Reagan, 48.10 meters (157-9).
Hammer (Collegiate)
4. Blake Johns, 53.00 meters (173-10).
Javelin (Invite)
3. Walker Deede, 68.93 meters (226-1); 8. Kace Jones, 59.22 meters (194-3).
USU Women’s Results:
Event (Section)
USU Participants
5,000 Meters (3)
10. Sarah Ellis, 16:06.27; 16. Natalie Swain, 16:24.50.
10,000 Meters (2)
15. Brie Smith, 33:52.40.
Pole Vault (Invite)
4. Karina Cooper, 3.96 meters (12-11.75); 6. Sabrina Fairbanks, 3.96 meters (12-11.75).
Shot Put (Invite)
6. Milly Garren, 14.06 meters (46-1.5).
Shot Put (Collegiate)
Ruby Jordan, DNS.
Discus (Invite)
11. Milly Garren, 44.25 meters (145-2).
Hammer (Invite)
8. Ruby Jordan, 53.69 meters (176-1); 9. Milly Garren, 52.14 meters (171-0).
Javelin (Collegiate)
2. Valerie Clark, 47.02 meters (154-3); 8. Mary Bryan, 40.14 meters (131-8).
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