EUGENE, Ore. — BYU true freshmen Wyatt Haughton, Carter Cutting and Alysa Keller competed at the 2024 USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field June 12-13.
All three rode performances in their respective events this outdoor season to qualify for August's 2024 U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru.
| Name | Event | Time/Mark | Placement |
| Wyatt Haughton | 3000-meter Steeplechase | 8:48.17 | 1st Overall |
| Carter Cutting | 1500-meter | 3:47.43 | 2nd Overall |
| Alysa Keller | Javelin | 48.26m/158-4 | 2nd Overall |
Haughton finished first overall in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase crossing the line in 8:48.17 to earn the meet record by three-hundredths of a second. The freshman out of Fairway, Kansas bested his field despite having competed only a week prior in the same event at the 2024 NCAA National Championships. There, Haughton ran 9:00.96 in the preliminary round.
"The race went well," said Haughton. "I led it from the start, so that definitely made it hard to hit splits. The time wasn’t where I thought it would be, but I am very happy and grateful for another chance in Peru."
Cutting placed second overall in the men's 1500m, finishing in 3:47.43. The freshman from Wilsonville, Oregon was only bested by Big Ten 1500m Champion Trent McFarland of Michigan who claimed the victory at the line by four-hundredths of a second. Cutting has a 1500m personal best of 3:42.81 which he claimed at the 2024 Big 12 Championships in May.
"It felt great to be back home at Hayward," said Cutting. "I felt like I ran really tactically sound and closed hard. I'm excited to represent the USA and the Cougs in Peru."
Keller finished second overall in the women's section of the javelin with a toss of 48.26m/158-4. The freshman out of Billings, Montana holds the No. 4 mark in BYU history with her Big 12 runner-up 51.86m/170-1 earned at the 2024 Big 12 Championships.
“I am so thankful that I had this opportunity to throw in this meet," said Keller. "It was an amazing experience to compete alongside some of the other U20 athletes. It was was nerve-racking but also inspiring. I look forward to more experiences like this in the future."
Additional Quotes
Ed Eyestone - BYU Director of Track and Field on the meet as a whole
"The U20 is really the next generation of greatness. It was fun to see these athletes, all under 20-years old, finish off their freshman season and compete here. It will be a unique opportunity for all three of them to represent the United States on the world stage later this summer."
Eyestone - On Haughton's 3000-meter Steeplechase Win
"Wyatt took control of the steeplechase race from the gun, leading the race with a punishing first lap into a strong headwind. He quickly opened up a six-second lead that was never really checked by the competition. The last 600-meters he really drove for home. His final 200-meters was sprinted in 31 seconds despite navigating the water jump and a final barrier. He was rewarded with the meet record!"
Eyestone - On Cutting's 1500-meter Performance
"Carter really executed the perfect race plan. Positioning is so important in championship 1500-meters and he moved up from the middle of the pack to fourth place at the start of the bell lap. He was patient on the backstretch when the others started to sprint, waiting until the final 100-meters to move from fourth to first with a well-timed kick. The Big Ten champion from Michigan came up on his outside meters before the finish or I think he could have responded. I think it will be fun for the two freshmen to be roommates again, this time at the U-20 World Championships in Peru."
Niklas Arrhenius - BYU Throws Coach on Keller's Javelin Performance
"Alysa did well competing at her first national championship. I believe she came in ranked third, so getting second is awesome. She started off with a great throw and then struggled a little bit to get the same feeling, but finished up with a decent last throw. It was the first time she got to compete at Hayward Field where the Olympic Trials will be at in two weeks for her, so it’s a good preparatory meet. Her performance prior to this at the Big 12 Championships qualified her for the junior world championship as well, so that will be exciting if she can represent America and BYU in those championships.