Arizona Is First Road Trip

PROVO -- The first road trip for the No. 19 men's cross country team lands them in Arizona for the Dave Murray Invitational on Friday at 5:45 p.m. local time.

The men will be facing Arizona, Arizona State, Central Arizona, Northern Arizona and Pima Community College. Last week at the Autumn Classic, the Cougars finished in second place behind Big Ten powerhouse Minnesota.

"This time of year, it's almost the equivalent of a preseason event," BYU coach Ed Eyestone said, noting that points toward nationals won't start until the third meet of the season. "The guys are jockeying for position at this point in a good-natured competition. They're trying to ensure a spot on the travel roster and for the conference championships."

BYU is led by junior transfer Stephan Shay, who placed second at the Autumn Classic to lead all Cougar runners. Shay ran the four-mile race in 19:29.3. The Cougars are also led by sophomore Brandon Hebbert, freshman Taylor Farnsworth and 2005 All-American Chandler Goodwin.

The Wildcats lost their top-five runners from the 2006 squad, leaving them with 10 freshman and three sophomores on their 14-man team. Junior Lou Maturo and Sophomores Dylan Fitzpatrick and Brian MacArthur are the only returning scorers for the team.