Cougars Ready For NCAA Championships

PROVO, Utah -- Eight athletes from the No. 10 BYU men’s track team will be heading to Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend.

“You always wish you could bring some more but we have a great group going,” head coach Mark Robison said. “The terrific thing is with this group every one of them is capable of scoring points.”

BYU will be competing in seven different events, including the pole vault, discus throw, shot put, high jump, 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase. Last year, the Cougars finished with just one point at Nationals and are looking for a much better finish with so many athletes competing.

“Our goal is to be in the top 10 and everyone will have to do well for that to happen,” Robison said. “I expect our guys to be able to do it.”

Headlining the group that qualified are junior Miles Batty and senior Leif Arrhenius. Batty will compete in the 1,500 meters, a race he set the school record in earlier this year with a 3:36.25. The time has held up as the fastest collegiate time all year, and ranks as the fifth-best collegiate time in history.

Arrhenius will be the Cougars only athlete competing in two events, the discus and the shot put. He has top-ten ranked marks in both events, including a shot put mark of 18.96m (62-02.50) and a discus throw of 61.16m (200-08.00).

Three pole vaulters will also compete, giving BYU an opportunity to pick up valuable points. Seniors Chris Little and Tanner Emrich will be trying to make an impact in their final collegiate meets while sophomore Victor Weirich is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships.

Senior Trevor Heiner qualified in the high jump and has a season best jump of 2.11m (6-11.00). Junior Justin Hedin ran an 800-meter time of 1:48.71 at the prelims to advance. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, an 8:48.64 time got sophomore Jacob Cosby into the championship field.

The NCAA Championships are set to begin on the campus of Drake University on Wednesday at 11 a.m. MT and continue through Saturday evening. Portions of the meet will be televised live on the CBS Sports Network on Friday from 5:30 p.m. MT to 7:30 p.m. MT. Coverage will continue from 11 a.m. MT to 1 p.m. MT on Saturday.

For live results for all events CLICK HERE, and to watch a webcast of the meet visit www.godrakebulldogs.com

NCAA Championship Qualifiers
Justin Hedin (800 meters)
Miles Batty (1,500 meters)
Jacob Cosby (3,000-meter steeplechase)
Leif Arrhenius (Shot put, Discus)
Trevor Heiner (High jump)
Chris Little (Pole vault)
Victor Weirich (Pole vault)
Tanner Emrich (Pole vault)