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LaVern Gibson Ch. Cross Country Course
599 S. Tabortown Rd Terre Haute IN 47803
jgreen
| Posted: 23 Nov 2013 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.-- No. 8 BYU men’s cross country took fourth place for a spot on the podium at the NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday.
"We ended up on the podium and that certainly was a huge goal for us this year," head coach Ed Eyestone said. "I'm proud of the way the guys hung in there to get a podium spot. Tylor Thatcher really rose to the occasion and we benefitted from having Jared Ward back. He gave it his all. It's always good to finish on the podium."
Thatcher led the Cougars, finishing in 21st place for his second All-American finish in as many years. Ward, running in just his second race since having his eligibility reinstated, took 36th overall for his second straight All-American performance.
"We had some guys come through and had great finishes," Thatcher said. "Overall it was pretty good. Our goal going into it was to get on the podium and we are very excited to be have accomplished that goal."
Jonathan Nelson finished in 68th place as the third Cougar to cross the finish line. Jason Witt, the West Coast Conference individual champion, took 87th. Spencer Gardner was the last scoring runner for the Cougars, finishing in 118th place. Thomas Gruenewald and Steve Flint took 120th and 137th, respectively.
The Cougars finished with 267 points. Colorado took first overall with 149 points for their fourth national championship in program history. Northern Arizona finished in second place with 169 points and Oklahoma State was third, finishing with 230 points. Oregon rounded out the top five with 274 points. Results can be found here.
It was the Cougars' second podium finish under Eyestone, as BYU finished in fourth place in 2011.
jgreen
| Posted: 20 Nov 2013 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
PROVO, Utah—Looking to cap off a stellar season, BYU men’s cross country heads to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the NCAA Championships on Saturday for the 15th consecutive year.
“Our team is coming together at the right time,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “I think we are in a good position to get on the podium (top four). We know what we need to do individually and as a team. We have our sights set very high.”
The Cougars dropped to No. 8 in the national rankings after taking fourth in last weekend’s Mountain Region Championships. Jared Ward, an All-American in 2012, took fourth at the Mountain Region Championships – his first race back since having his final year of eligibility reinstated by the NCAA.
“We did just enough at regionals to get in the right position for nationals with fresh legs,” Eyestone said. “It is definitely nice to have Jared back. That is clearly a big lift for us.”
BYU is also led by individual WCC conference champion Jason Witt and 2012 All-American Tylor Thatcher. Steve Flint, Jonathan Nelson, Thomas Gruenewald and Spencer Gardner have all been consistent contributors for the Cougars and will battle for scoring spots at nationals.
Winners of four of six races this season, the 2013 Cougars boast a WCC Championship and a second-place finish at the nationally-loaded Wisconsin Adidas invitational on their resume.
The men’s NCAA Championship race will begin at noon EST and will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
