PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s track and field and cross country finished sixth in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Program of the Year standings for the 2014-2015 academic year.
"We've prided ourselves in our distance running," BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. "But this year was special, because we had some standout athletes and performances in other events too. We're up there with the great programs in collegiate track and field and that's definitely something to be pleased with."
The award is determined by combining team finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Track and Field Championships. The team with the lowest combined score wins Program of the Year.
The Cougars scored 21 points from cross country, 41.5 for indoor track and field and 13 points for outdoor track and field, giving them a total of 71 points. BYU was the lone representative of the West Coast Conference to crack the top 16 in the standings and the highest-ranked team from cross country’s Mountain Region.
BYU’s sixth-place finish is also the program’s second-highest finish since the award was inaugurated following the 2008-2009 season. The team’s performances in 2010-2011 garnered third place.
Oregon won Program of the Year with eight total points. Arkansas (34 points), Texas (39 points), Oklahoma State (45.5 points) and Virgina (63 points) rounded out the top five.
The USTFCCCA’s release and full Program of the Year standings can be found at ustfccca.org.