Chari Wanda Hawkins (born May 21, 1991) is an American track and field athlete who competes in combined events. She won the 2022 U.S. Indoor Pentathlon title and has represented the U.S. in the heptathlon at the 2019 World Championships, finishing 12th, and at the 2023 World Championships, finishing 8th.[3][4]

Chari Hawkins
Hawkins (right) at the 2019 Hypo-Meeting
Personal information
Full nameChari Wanda Hawkins
Born (1991-05-21) May 21, 1991 (age 33)
Rexburg, Idaho, United States
Education
EmployerBrooks
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Heptathlon, Pentathlon
College team
Turned pro2015
Achievements and titles
Personal bests

Early life and education

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Hawkins is from Rexburg, Idaho. She attended Madison High School. She studied family consumer science at Utah State. On a Santander scholarship, she completed a Master of Arts in International Education and Globalisation at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom in 2018.[5]

Athletics career

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University

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Utah State

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After leaving high school in 2010, Hawkins joined the Utah State University Aggies track and field, where she would compete from 2011 to 2015.

While at Utah State, she qualified for three NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon placing 11th in 2013, 9th in 2014, and 14th in 2015. She also competed at two NCAA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon, placing 14th in 2014 and 9th in 2015.

Bath

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While pursuing her Masters degree, Hawkins represented TeamBath in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competitions, winning long jump gold and 100m hurdles silver. She broke a 30-year record when she won the heptathlon title at the 2018 England Athletics Combined Events Championships.[2]

Professional

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2016

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In April 2016, Hawkins set a heptathlon personal best of 5878 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California.[6] Later that year, she competed at the US Olympic Trials, placing 15th.[7]

2019

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With a third place finish of 6230 at the 2019 USATF Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, [8] Hawkins qualified for the 2019 World Championships in Doha, where she would go on to place 12th.[9]

2022

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At the 2022 USATF Indoor Championships, she won her first national title, setting a Pentathlon personal best of 4492 and qualifying for the World Indoor Championships. At World Indoors in Belgrade, she recorded a no mark in the long jump and did not complete the pentathlon.[10]

 
Hawkins at the 2024 World Indoor Championships

In June, she earned recognition by USATF for Athlete of the Week for her first-place finish in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event held in Arona, Spain where she achieved a personal best with 6,243 points.[11]

2023

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In 2023, she made her return to the global championships with an 8th place finish in the Heptathlon at the World Championships in Budapest.[12][13][14]

2024

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In March 2024, Hawkins placed 7th at the World Indoor Championships.[15] At the US Olympic Trials she achieved a personal best in three events, and a new overall best score of 6,456 points, to place 2nd.[16][17][18]

During the second event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the High jump, Hawkins failed to clear her first height of 1.71 metres, and scored zero points, putting her out of contention for a Heptathlon medal.[19] She ended up finishing 21st, which was last of all the athletes who completed the seven events.[20]

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the   United States
2015 Universiade Gwangju, South Korea 4th Heptathlon 5707 pts
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 12th Heptathlon 6073 pts
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade Serbia Pentathlon DNF
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 8th Heptathlon 6366 pts
2024 World Indoor Championships Glasgow, Scotland 7th Pentathlon 4388 pts
Olympic Games Paris, France 21st Heptathlon 5255 pts

Personal bests

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Outdoor

Indoor

References

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  1. ^ "College bio". Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Coach delighted to see Chari Hawkins' dedication rewarded as Bath alumna secures Team USA heptathlon spot for Paris 2024 Olympics". Team Bath. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "USA Track & Field | Chari Hawkins". usatf.org. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  4. ^ Chari Hawkins at World Athletics  
  5. ^ "Coach delighted to see Chari Hawkins' dedication rewarded as Bath alumna secures Team USA heptathlon spot for Paris 2024 Olympics". Team Bath. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "2016 Bryan Clay Invitational". FloTrack. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "Former Aggie Chari Hawkins Finishes 15th in Heptathlon at U.S. Olympic Team Trials". Utah State Aggies. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "Former Aggie Chari Hawkins punches ticket to IAAF World Track & Field Championships". deseret.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Former Aggie Chari Hawkins Finishes 12th at IAAF World Track & Field Championships". Utah State Aggies. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "Vidts breaks Thiam's Belgian pentathlon record to take first major title in Belgrade". World Athletics. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  11. ^ "USA Track & Field | Hawkins' heptathlon win earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors". usatf.org. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "Aggie Great Chari Hawkins Places Eighth in Heptathlon at World Championships". Utah State Aggies. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  13. ^ "New heptathlon PB for Bath alumnae Chari Hawkins on IAAF World Athletics Championships debut in Budapest". Team Bath. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  14. ^ "How former Utah State star Chari Hawkins fared in the heptathlon at world championships". deseret.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  15. ^ "Pentathlon victory for Vidts creates history in Glasgow". World Athletics. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "Former USU athlete finishes 2nd in heptathlon at US Olympic Team Trials". Utah Public Radio. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  18. ^ "U.S. Olympic track and field trials: Former Utah State star Chari Hawkins qualifies for Olympics; Whittni Morgan comes up short". deseret.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  19. ^ Mbu, By Joshua (August 8, 2024). "Chari Hawkins breaks down in tears after Olympics disaster left her shaking". The Mirror US. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  20. ^ "Chari Hawkins Finishes 21st in Olympics Heptathlon". Utah State Aggies. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
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