1999 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Season Summary

1999 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Season Summary1999 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Season Summary

The BYU men's track and field team, anchored by two-time NCAA 100-meter champion Leonard Myles-Mills, finished a strong 12th at the NCAA Championships, its highest finish since 1991. The men also won their second consecutive WAC title, including 12 in the past 15 years. The Cougar squad produced seven All-Americans, including Marc Chenn in the high jump, Jeff Hansen in the pole vault, and Myles-Mills, Kenneth Andam, Thobias Akwenye, Slade Combs and Clayton Patch in the 4x100 relay.

The Cougars dominated throughout the season, winning all eight of the scored meets prior to the NCAAs. Among the wins was the Utah Collegiate Championship title, as BYU competed against other in-state universities to demonstrate local supremacy.

BYU athletes also made their mark on the record books, breaking several school records. Clayton Patch broke an 11-year old 400m record with a 45.75 second performance in the event. The 4x100 relay team dominated all year, including a record-breaking 38.88-second performance at the WAC Championships, taking more than half a second off the old mark, set in 1991. Sophomore vaulter Jeff Hansen cleared a height of 17-11 at the WAC Championships to improve on the old school record by half an inch.

At the NCAA Championships, Myles-Mills led the way with a 9.98 time in the 100 meters, becoming the first man to repeat as champion in the event since Auburn's Harvey Glance accomplished the feat in 1976 and '77. He was also the first Cougar to repeat as NCAA champion in an event since Ed Eyestone won the 10,000 meters in 1984 and '85.