Buena Vista University freshman Hailey Hearting qualifies for U20 javelin championships

Buena Vista University freshman Hailey Hearting earned a spot in the javelin throw at the USA Track and Field Outdoor U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, a national stage reserved for the top 16 athletes under 20. The meet carries more than a championship trophy: it is the selection event for the World Athletics U20 Championships team, which will return to Hayward Field Aug. 5-9.

For a first-year athlete out of Storm Lake, the opportunity is a sharp jump from conference competition to one of the most recognizable venues in American track and field. The women’s javelin final was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PDT Thursday, June 18, placing Hearting in one of the opening championship events at a meet that can send throwers on toward Team USA duties in August.

Hearting’s rise has been fast. BVU coach Ty Hoover said she arrived expecting to hurdle, but the staff quickly saw potential in several events, including the pentathlon, heptathlon and javelin. Hoover credited Hearting’s work ethic and quick learning curve, saying she took on several new events in a short span and developed into a natural in javelin.

The numbers back up that progression. At the 2026 A-R-C Championships, Hearting’s final javelin attempt sailed 40.63 meters, a personal best that moved her to 29th on the national rankings list in BVU’s recap. The mark also stands third on Buena Vista’s all-time list. During the heptathlon at conference, she won the javelin as part of a 4,410-point performance that broke a 37-year-old school record held by Barb Buckwalter since 1989.

Hearting’s conference run added another layer to the BVU track season. The Beavers finished seventh at the 2026 A-R-C Championships with 24 points, while Hearting collected Midwest All-Region honors from the USTFCCCA in the heptathlon. Those results show how quickly she has become one of the program’s most versatile athletes and how far her reach now extends beyond Buena Vista County.

For Storm Lake and the broader Buena Vista County sports scene, Hearting’s qualification is a hometown marker of serious national-level talent. A BVU freshman is now lining up against 15 of the country’s best under-20 javelin throwers, with a place on the World U20 team in play if she breaks through in Eugene.