Linkletter, Collinsworth named 2017 first-team All-Americans

NEW ORLEANS – As BYU concluded the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend, Rory Linkletter and Shea Collinsworth headlined honors given by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Linkletter and Collinsworth were named first-team All-Americans. Linkletter placed No. 2 in the 10000m with a time of 29:02.96, the Cougars’ best finish in that race at the NCAAs since Ed Eyestone won in 1984 and 1985. Collinsworth finished fourth in the 800m with a mark of 2:02.30 to cap off her fourth and final appearance at the NCAA outdoor championships.

Jacob Heslington, Clayton Young, Korey Smith and Tatenda Tsumba garnered second-team All-America honors. Heslington and Young recorded 10th-place finishes in the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m, respectively, while Smith ranked No. 16 in the 400m-hurdles. Tsumba also finished 16th with a strong performance in the 200m.

Kristi Rush-Briggs and Andrea Stapleton represented the female athletes with second-team honors. Rush-Briggs placed 14th in the 3000m steeplechase and Stapleton finished 16th in the high jump.

BYU’s honorable mention All-Americans included Mitchell Briggs (3000m steeplechase), Daniel Carney (3000m steeplechase), Chase Horrocks (1500m), Max Scheible (400m-hurdles), Zachary Stetler (shot put), Tatenda Tsumba (100m), Jackson Walker (decathlon), Clayton Young (10,000m) and Whittni Orton (1500m).

First-team honors were given to athletes who finished top eight in their individual events. Athletes who placed No. 9 through No. 16 were named second-team All-Americans while those who finished 17th through 24th earned honorable mention.  

The official USTFCCCA release and a complete list of honorees can be found here.