Courtesy of Utah State Athletics

LOGAN, Utah – Chari Hawkins, the most decorated female athlete in Utah State history, finished eighth in the heptathlon at the 2023 World Track and Field Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The five-time Aggie All-American amassed a personal-best 6,366 points to place eighth out of 24 competitors.

This marked the second time Hawkins has represented the United States at the outdoor world championships as she finished 12th in the heptathlon in 2019 in Doha, Qatar.

Hawkins was in medal contention throughout the two-day event, which concluded this past Sunday, but finished 18th in the 800 meters – the seventh and final event.

Following the first four events on Day 1 of the competition, Hawkins was sitting in third place and was still there after the first event on Sunday. The native of Rexburg, Idaho, was in fifth when she toed the line for the 800 meters.

Aside from the 800 meters, Hawkins was among the top-nine athletes in each of the other six events and notched personal-best performances in three of them — the 100-meter hurdles, shot put and javelin. She recorded the third-fastest time in the 100 hurdles (13.04 seconds), placed sixth in the shot put (14.40 meters/47-3) and ninth in the javelin (45.77 meters/150-2).

Entering the meet ranked 15th in the world, Hawkins scored her most points in the 100 hurdles (1,118), followed by the high jump (1,016), 200 meters (24.38), long jump (899), shot put (821), 800 (789) and javelin (778). She clocked in at 24.38 in the 200, which was the ninth-fastest time, and in 2:22.53 in the 800.

Hawkins punched her ticket to the world championships by finishing third in the heptathlon at the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, which were held July 6-9 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

During her illustrious Utah State career, Hawkins was a three-time second-team All-American in the heptathlon and two-time second-team All-American in the pentathlon, which is contested during the indoor track & field season.

Hawkins still holds program records in the heptathlon (5,750 points), pentathlon (4, 194) and high jump (1.83 meters/6-0.25).