Talem Franco
Distance
Ht
5'
10"
Class
Graduate
Hometown
Heber City, 
Utah
Last School
Wasatch High School
Roster Years
2016-2021


Personal

  • Parents are Heidi and Leno Franco
  • Has five brothers and six sisters
  • Married to Jessica Franco
  • Enjoys the outdoors, reading and learning
  • Major: Microbiology and Molecular Biology
  • Mission: Papeete, Tahiti
  • Minors: Gerontology and French
  • Also recruited by Columbia, Pennsylvania, SUU, USU, UVU, Weber St.

Before BYU

  • Played football in high school as well
  • High school coach is Shauna Bowden
  • Began running in sixth grade with the encouragement of his father

Stats

Indoor Personal Bests
Time Event Meet
1:49.89 800m 2020 MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships
3:58.09 Mile 2020 UW Invitational
8:13.45 3000m 2020 Husky Classic

 

Outdoor Personal Bests
Time Event Meet
1:48.89 800m 2021 Hayward Premiere
3:37.55 1500m 2021 Fresno State West Coast Relays
4:00.91 Mile 2019 Sun Angel Track Classic

Career Stats

Men's Cross Country Athlete Profile

BYU Hall of Fame

Freshman Year 2016

Indoor (2016)

  • Took fifth overall in the Indoor 800m at the Texas A&M Team Invitational in 1:52.57
  • Qualified for the MPSF Indoor Championships 
  • Took 14th overall at the MPSH Championships in the mile with a time of 4:08.54

Outdoor (2017)

  • Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors
  • Set a new personal best in the 1500m with a time of 3:47.10 and took fifth place overall at the Stanford Invitational
Sophmore Year 2017

Indoor (2017)

  • Placed first at the Iowa State Classic in the mile with a time of 4:03.63, a new personal best
  • Took seventh place overall at the MPSF Championships in the mile with a 4:04.09 time

Outdoor (2018)

  • Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors
  • Clocked a personal record in the 1500m quarterfinal (3:44.90) at the NCAA West Preliminaries after advancing from the first round
  • Took second in the 1500m (3:49.52) at the Hornet Invitational to start the season
  • Finished ninth overall at the Stanford Invitational in the 1500m (3:54.63)
  • Ran a career-best 1:52.50 in the 800m at the SF State Distance Carnival
  • Won the 1500m at the Utah Spring Classic (3:52.75)
  • Placed 63rd at the Bryan Clay Invitational in the 1500m (3:46.72)
  • Took first in the mile at the Robison Invitational (4:07.42)
Junior Year 2018

Indoor

  • Took second in the distance medley relay at the MPSF Championships (9:37.94)
  • Clocked 4:01.16 in the mile at the Iowa State Classic for the No. 10 indoor mile time in school history
  • Competed in seven meets during the 2019 indoor season

Outdoor

  • Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors
  • Took 11th in the 1500m final (3:46.20) and was named a second-team All-American at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
  • Earned a personal record in the 1500m with a time of 3:42.15 at the NCAA West Prelims to advance to Nationals
  • Ran the ninth-fastest outdoor 1500m in school history with a time of4:00.91 at the Sun Angel Classic
  • Competed in eight meets during the 2019 outdoor season
Senior Year 2020

Indoor (2020* COVID)

  • Named a USTFCCCA All-American in the mile and DMR
  • Earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors
  • National qualifier in the mile and DMR
  • MPSF individual champion in the 800m with a personal-best time of 1:49.89
  • MPSF third-place team member in the DMR
  • Broke four minutes in the mile at the 2020 UW Invitational (3:58.09) to become No. 3 all-time at BYU
  • Ran a personal-best time of 8:13.45 in the 3000m at the 2020 Husky Classic
  • Competed in seven meets during the 2020 indoor season

Outdoor (2021)

  • Finished ninth in the men’s 1500m at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 3:40.61, garnering All-America Second Team honors
  • Recorded the second-best men’s 1500m time in BYU history with a personal-best 3:37.55 to finish second at the Fresno State West Coast Relays.
  • Finished first in the men’s 800m at the Hayward Premiere with a personal-best time of 1:48.89. 

Overall

  • Received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors
  • Finished 21stin men’s 1500m semifinals at U.S. Olympic Trials 
Graduate Year 2021

Redshirt Year

Medical Redshirt Year