Cougars boast 21 track and field athletes on MPSF All-Academic Teams

PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s and women’s track and field teams landed 21 athletes on the 2022 MPSF Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Teams when the conference announced the honors on Tuesday.

Women's recipients
15 BYU women's athletes earned MPSF All-Academic honors:

• Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes, a senior distance runner from Gilbert, Arizona holds a 3.64 GPA as a nursing major and competed on the DMR team at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
• Layne Bolli, a senior sprinter from Boerne, Texas set personals bests in the 60m, 200m and 400m during the season, and boasts a 4.0 GPA as a communication disorders major.
• Halley Folsom Walker, a senior pentathlete from Medford, Oregon is a finance post-baccalaureate with a 3.74 GPA. She earned BYU's fourth-best pentathlon score of 4,201 at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and was a member of the school-record setting 4x400 squad. 
• Annalise Hart, a junior sprinter from Highlands Ranch, Colorado achieved a 3.7 GPA as a communications major. Hart ran the seventh-best 400m time in school history in February, clocking a 55.00 and was a member of the school-record setting 4x400 team.
• Kate Hunter, a senior distance runner from Provo, Utah competed on the DMR team at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and is an exercise science major who earned a 3.57 GPA.
• Meghan Hunter, a junior and also a distance runner from Provo, Utah entered the school's 800m top-10 in February, running a 2:04.08, and also holds a 3.93 GPA as a communication disorders major.
• Brinn Jensen, a graduate sprinter from Lehi, Utah was a member of the school-record setting 4x400 squad and achieved a 3.71 GPA as an exercise science master's student.
• Sable Lohmeier El-Bakri, a senior thrower from Mountain Home, Idaho is an exercise and wellness major with a 3.14 GPA. She threw the program's second-best weight throw mark in February, tossing a 19.95m/63-5.5.
• Taye Raymond, a sophomore sprinter and jumper from Orem, Utah posted a 3.1 GPA as a physical education teaching major and was the long jump champion at the MPSF Championships.
• Rebekah Ross, a junior pole vaulter from Spokane, Washington whose vault of 4.12m/13-6 earned her the No. spot in the school's all-time history. Ross also boasts a 4.0 GPA as a mathematics major.
• Chloe Taylor, a junior sprinter from St. George, Utah is an exercise science major with a 3.27 GPA. Taylor also set personal bests in four different events during the season.
• Kate Thomas, a senior sprinter from San Diego, California also set personal bests in four different events throughout the indoor season, and earned a 3.96 GPA as a finance major.
• Jessica Thompson, a senior thrower from Plains, Montana is a biology major who achieved as 3.98 GPA. Thompson also holds the school's fifth-best weight throw mark at 18.12m/59-5.75.
• Leah Thompson, a senior and also a thrower from Plains, Montana who entered BYU's top-10 board in the weight throw at No. 9 with a mark of 17.34m/56-10.75. Thompson posted a 3.75 GPA as a post-baccalaureate in physical education teaching education and coaching.
• Cierra Tidwell-Allphin, a junior high jumper from Gilbert, Arizona is a wildlife and wildlands conservation who achieved a 3.81 GPA. She also moved up on the Cougars' top-10 board in February, jumping a 1.86m/6-1.25 to move into fifth all-time.

Men's recipients
Six BYU men’s athletes received MPSF All-Academic honors:

• Dallin Draper, a sophomore from Delta, Utah holds a 3.58 GPA as a psychology major. Draper won both 60 and 200m titles at the MPSF Championships in February.
• Harrison Gould, a sophomore from Temecula, California is a pre-business major with a 3.71 GPA. Gould competed in throws, setting a personal-best of 16.45m/53-11.75 in the shot put at the BYU Indoor Invite II.
• Zach McWhorter, a senior pole vaulter from Springdale, Arkansas achieved a 3.89 GPA as an entrepreneurial management major while winning the MPSF title and finishing national runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
• Kenneth Rooks, a sophomore distance runner from Walla Walla, Washington helped lead the men’s distance medley relay team to an MPSF championship while posting a 3.98 GPA as a civil engineering major.
• Dallin Vorkink won the 2022 MPSF pentathlon championship. The senior from Kirksville, Missouri holds a 3.94 GPA and is majoring in exercise science.
• Caleb Witsken combined with McWhorter to create a formidable pole vault duo for the Cougars. Witsken cleared a personal-best 5.55/18-2.5 at BYU’s February home meet. In the classroom, the senior from Logandale, Nevada has achieved a 3.99 GPA and majors in exercise science.