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Utah State's Chari Hawkins was just named the Mountain West Conference's Women's Outdoor Athlete of the Year following an extraordinary senior season.
The senior mutli-eventer just capped off a season in which she received All-America honors for the fifth time, good for the most all time in school history, by competing in the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Finals. She broke a school record at the championships with her 5.750-point total in the heptathalon, which is also the fourth-best mark in Mountain West history. She placed 14th in the event, garnering second-team All-America honors.
The Rexburg, Idaho native won the heptathalon and high jump events at the Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships in San Diego last month, and also placed second in the long jump and fifth in the 100m hurdles. Hawkins' performance at the Outdoor Championships earned her the Women's Outstanding Performer of the Meet honors.
"If you look at what she did in the national meet, what she did in the first round of the NCAAs, what she did at the Mountain West Championships and then what she did throughout the year, it's hard to argue with someone like Chari receiving the award," Utah State head coach Gregg Gensel said in a statement. "I am certain there are other athletes who are deserving of being honored, but Chari has been consistently up high, so that's probably why they honored her with this award."
Hawkins is the most decorated track & field athlete in school history, as she now has been named the Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year three times, twice for indoor and once for the outdoor season.
Hawkins was also named the Mountain Region Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association.