Five Cougars Receive USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

NEW ORLEANS, La. – BYU men’s cross country had five athletes receive 2022 NCAA Division I All-Academic honors, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday afternoon.

Recipients:

• Casey Clinger
• Creed Thompson
• Davin Thompson
• Kenneth Rooks
• Joey Nokes

The five awards mark the second-highest number in program history, behind only 2020’s team that saw six student-athletes honored. The Cougars represented well among other national programs, matching Oklahoma State and Texas as runner-up to Stanford’s nation-leading six honorees.

The achievement is known for its strict criteria. Individuals must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, complete a minimum of one semester and finish as either a Division I All-American at NCAA Nationals or a top-25 placement at the NCAA Regional Meet.

Clinger, a business management major, receives the honor for the second time and first since 2020. The 2022 season brought his best finish at the NCAA Championships – seventh overall (28:58.7)— and netted his fourth All-American honors. The senior also won the West Coast Conference individual title to garner All-WCC First Team honors and was named to the WCC All-Academic First Team.

Sophomore twins and computer science majors Davin Thompson and Creed Thompson registered breakout seasons as each claimed their first All-American honors, with Davin taking 30th and Creed 35th at nationals. They also earned All-WCC First Team honors and were named to the WCC All-Academic First Team in December.

Despite finishing just shy of All-American honors at NCAA Nationals, Nokes meets the criteria with academic merit and an eighth-place performance at the NCAA Mountain Regional on Nov. 11. The exercise science major competed in all seven meets on the season, tallying All-WCC First Team, All-Mountain Region and WCC All-Academic honors.

Rooks also earns his first NCAA Division I All-Academic award. The civil engineering major placed 22nd at the NCAA Mountain Regional, was named All-WCC Second Team and earned a spot on the WCC All-Academic First Team last month.

Each contributed in guiding the Cougars to a third-place finish at nationals and the program’s fifth-ever podium finish.