DES MOINES, Iowa – Senior Miles Batty concluded his stellar BYU career with a second-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday. Batty scored eight points to give the Cougars 13 team points, good for a tie for 21st.
“It was an incredible race,” BYU coach Mark Robison said. “It couldn’t have been much better. What an amazing young man, one of the best we’ve ever had. He’ll have a pro career and do some great things. We’re going to miss him.”
Batty hung in the middle of the pack for the first three laps before making a charge early in the final lap. He took the lead heading into the last turn and got to the inside for the sprint to the finish. Indiana’s Andrew Bayer made a strong push and was able to out-sprint Batty on the final straightaway by one-hundredth of a second and win the title in a photo finish.
Bayer finished with a time of 3:43.82 compared to 3:43.83 for Batty. As a point scorer, Batty will be a lock to earn All-America honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The honor will be his sixth All-America citation in track, all in the past two seasons with four coming indoor and two outdoor. USTFCCCA All-America honors will be announced on Monday.
Along with the All-America honors, Batty is a two-time National Champion, the NCAA record holder in the indoor mile and a recipient of the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship. He has also received numerous athlete and scholar-athlete of the year honors for his work on the track and in the classroom.
The other point scorers for BYU men were Jared Ward in the 10,000 meters and Chris Carter in the 400 meter hurdles. Nachelle Mackie was the lone scorer for the women as she claimed 10 points as the 800 meter National Champion. The BYU women finished tied for 30th.
Championships Summary - BYU Men
| Athlete | Event | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles Batty | 1,500 meters | 2nd, 3:43.83 | 8 |
| Jared Ward | 10,000 meters | 5th, 28:58.74 | 4 |
| Chris Carter | 400 meter hurdles | 8th, 51.77 | 1 |
| Alden Bahr | 10,000 meters | 10th, 29:21.64 | — |
| Ryan Waite | 800 meters | 18th in prelim, 1:49.09 | — |
| Jason Hinds, Shaquille Walker, Cade Lindahl, Chris Carter | 4x400 meters | 15th in prelim, 3:06.81 | — |
Championships Summary - BYU Women
| Athlete | Event | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nachelle Mackie | 800 meters | 1st, 2:01.06 | 10 |
| Lacey Bleazard | 800 meters | 20th in prelim, 2:06.86 | — |
| Allyson Anderson | Javelin | 16th, 148-1 (45.14m) | — |