Chari Hawkins, a former Utah State All-American from Rexburg, Idaho, qualified for her first Olympic team at age 33 by placing second in the heptathlon at the Olympic qualifiers in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday night.

As expected, Anna Hall won the competition with 6,614 points. Hawkins achieved a new career high with 6,456 points, followed by Taliyah Brooks with 6,408 points.

Hawkins, who is coached by former BYU head coach Craig Poole, set personal records in three of the seven events – the 800-meter run, the javelin and the shot put.

Hawkins had previously represented the USA at the 2019 and 2023 World Outdoor Championships and the 2022 and 2024 World Indoor Championships, but never qualified for an Olympic team.

Meanwhile, Whitti Morgan, BYU's 2021 national cross country champion, ran a brave and smart race in the 5,000-meter final but missed out on the Olympic team by two spots.

Morgan, who grew up in Panguitch, competed against an experienced and skilled 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 qualifying races, Cranny and Schweizer finished 1st and 2nd in the 5,000-meter race, and St. Pierre won the 1,500 meters.

On Monday, Valby set a fast pace for most of the race while the rest of the field chased her, with Morgan in sixth. And it stayed that way until the top six broke away from the rest of the field with five laps to go, leaving Morgan at the back of the pack.

With about three laps to go, Morgan, who was in fifth place, began to lose contact with the leading group. With two laps to go, St. Pierre, Cranny and Schweizer overtook Valby.

St. Pierre narrowly overtook Cranny at the finish line and won with a time of 14:40.34, 0.02 hundredths ahead of Cranny. Schweizer finished third in 14:45.12, Valby fourth in 14:51.44 and Morgan fifth in 15:05.53, seven seconds ahead of the next placed rider.

Morgan, who runs professionally for Adidas, has another chance 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).

Among the BYU teams that also suffered defeats, Lexy Halladay and Courtney Wayment made it to the finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Thursday night. Halladay had the fourth-fastest time (9:27.36) in Monday's semifinals and Wayment finished eighth (9:29.66).

Taylor Lovell posted the 23rd fastest time (9:52.78) and did not advance. Gabbi Jennings led the qualifiers with a time of 9:23.88.

Several other current and former BYU athletes competed in the fourth day of Olympic trials on Monday. Riley Hunt ran the 32nd fastest time of the day (13.98) in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles and did not advance to the next round.

After a two-day break, the trials will resume on Thursday. In addition to the steeplechase athletes, 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.