Chari Hawkins, a former Utah State All-American from Rexburg, Idaho, qualified for her first Olympic team at the age of 33 by finishing second in the heptathlon at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday evening.
As expected, Anna Hall won the competition with 6,614 points. Hawkins totaled a career-high 6,456 points, with Taliyah Brooks next with 6,408 points.
Hawkins, who is coached by former BYU head coach Craig Poole, produced personal records in three of the seven events — the 800-meter run, the javelin and the shot put.
Hawkins had previously represented the U.S. in the 2019 and 2023 world outdoor championships and the 2022 and 2024 world indoor championships but had never qualified for an Olympic team.
Meanwhile, Whitti Morgan, the 2021 BYU national cross country champion, ran a gutty and smart race in the 5,000-meter final but came up two places short of making the Olympic team.
Morgan, who grew up in Panguitch, faced a veteran and accomplished field that included former Olympians and national champions Elise Cranny, Elle St. Pierre and Karissa Schweizer, as well as six-time NCAA champion Parker Valby.
At the 2021 Olympic Trials, Cranny and Schweizer finished 1-2 in the 5,000-meter run, and St. Pierre won the 1,500.
On Monday, Valby set a fast pace through much of the race while the rest of the field tucked in behind her single file, with Morgan in sixth. That's the way it remained until the top six broke from the rest of the field with five laps to go, Morgan hanging onto the back of the pack.
With about three laps to go, Morgan, running fifth, began to lose contact with the lead group. With two laps to go, St. Pierre, Cranny and Schweizer passed Valby.
St. Pierre barely outleaned Cranny at the finish line to win with a time of 14:40.34, .02 hundredths ahead of Cranny. Schweizer was third in 14:45.12, Valby fourth in 14:51.44 and Morgan fifth in 15:05.53, seven seconds ahead of the next finisher.
Morgan, who runs professionally for Adidas, will have another shot at the Olympics if she decides to stay in the sport. At 26, she is younger than Cranny (28), Schweizer (28) and St. Pierre (29).
Elsewhere among BYU ties, Lexy Halladay and Courtney Wayment advanced to Thursday night's final of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Halladay had the fourth fastest time (9:27.36) in Monday's semifinals and Wayment was eighth (9:29.66).
Taylor Lovell posted the 23rd fastest time (9:52.78) and failed to advance. Gabbi Jennings led the qualifiers with a time of 9:23.88.
Several other current and former BYU athletes competed on day four of the Olympic trials Monday. Riley Hunt had the 32nd fastest time of the day (13.98) in the first round of the 110-meter high hurdles and failed to advance to the next round.
After two days off, the Trials will resume Thursday. Beside the steeplechasers, several other BYU athletes will compete that day — Sebastian Fernandez in the 800-meter run, Dallin Shurts in the discus and Casey Clinger in the 5,000-meter run.
