Utah State track and field athletes won five event titles and earned 14 podium finishes at the season-opening Utah Tech Invitational in St. George, Utah, on March 21.
The meet marked a strong start to the outdoor season for the Aggies, with two performances ranking among the top-10 in school history. Junior Claire Petersen won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 13.74 seconds, placing her ninth all-time at Utah State. Senior Krysthina Vlahovic finished second in that event with a time of 14.01 seconds.
Sophomore Shay Jones took second place in the women’s 200 meters with a time of 24.00 seconds, which is now eighth-best in program history for that event. In men’s competition, sophomore Taite Priestley claimed victory in the high jump by clearing 2.10 meters (6-10.75), setting a new facility record at Utah Tech.
Junior Sam Beckwith secured first place in both the men’s long jump (7.11 meters) and triple jump (12.41 meters), adding to his career total of event wins at Greater Zion Stadium. Junior Joseph Turner also had a successful day, winning the men’s shot put with a throw of 16.55 meters and finishing second in discus with a mark of 51.76 meters.
Other notable results included senior Valerie Clark taking second place in women’s javelin (46.44 meters) and junior Walker Deede finishing runner-up in men’s javelin (64.64 meters). The return of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase saw junior Camilla McKinstry finish second while breaking the previous facility record with her time of 10:36.16.
The Aggies will continue their outdoor campaign next week at the UVU Collegiate Invitational in Orem, Utah, scheduled for March 26.
