PROVO, Utah – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced today that 11 BYU track and field athletes have earned indoor All-America honors for the 2020 season.
On the men’s side, Talem Franco (mile), Jacob Heslington (5,000m) and Zach McWhorter (pole vault) earned All-America honors in their respective individual events. Franco teamed up with Michael Bluth, Matt Owens and Colten Yardley to earn All-America honors in the distance medley relay.
Whittni Orton (3,000m) and Elise Romney (pole vault) earned individual All-America honors on the women’s side while Orton combined with Anna Camp-Bennett, Alena Ellsworth and Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes to earn honors in the DMR.
Franco qualified for nationals in the mile with a time of 3:58.09 at the UW Invite on Feb. 1. He became the sixth Cougar in BYU history to run a sub-four-minute mile and his time ranks third all-time in program history. Heslington earned an NCAA Indoor Championships qualifying time of 13:39.05 in the 5,000m at the Husky Challenge on Feb. 14. His mark is third all-time in BYU history.
McWhorter had a strong freshman campaign in the pole vault, clearing 18-feet in five different meets. He claimed the No. 2 spot in the BYU record book with a mark of 5.61m/18-4.75 at the Dr. Sander Invitational on Jan. 25. The men’s DMR squad posted a time of 9:30.2 on Feb. 21 at the JDL DMR Invitational to earn its spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships and claim All-America status.
Orton posted a record-setting performance in the 3,000m at the Husky Classic on Feb. 15. She claimed the top time in the nation and BYU history with a mark of 8:49.63. Romney qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships and broke the BYU record with a mark of 4.31m/14-1.75 in the pole vault at the Nike Boise Indoor Invite on Feb. 8.
The women’s DMR squad of Orton, Camp-Bennett, Ellsworth and Ellsworth-Barnes set the school record with a time of 10:53.95 at the UW Invite on Feb. 1. They were ranked No. 1 in the nation entering the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Normal policies dictate that All-America honors are awarded based on classifications of performance at the NCAA Championships.
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, the NCAA Division I Track & Field Executive Committee adopted the following criteria:
- Based on the post-medical scratches startlist for the national championships posted on Wednesday, March 11 at 9:24 p.m., local, the following will be recognized as All-America for the 2020 indoor track & field season:
- Individual events: ALL student-athletes listed on the startlist for the anticipated event.
- Relay events: The four student-athletes per anticipated relay who produced the performance that was declared and accepted into their event. Those listed as alternates will not be recognized.
- There will not be a distinction of “first-team”, “second-team”, or “honorable mention” to these recognitions.
Thus, a total of 671 honors were handed out to 119 different institutions on Tuesday. Visit USTFCCCA.org for more information.
Coach Ed Eyestone
"I was amazed with the dedication and commitment of our student athletes who battled throughout the indoor season to become the elite of the elite!"
"Talem Franco improved his endurance through a strong cross country season which has led to him being a force in anchoring our DMR and becoming one of the best milers in the country."
"Zach McWhorter, a freshman just several months removed from his mission, has launched himself to one of the premier vaulters in the country and we look forward to his contributions for years to come. Consistency is his trademark."
"Jake Heslington showed that he is not just a threat in the steeplechase by posting one of the top marks in the country for 5000 meters."
"Our men's DMR had a great chance to score big points at the national meet with Owens, Yardley, Bluth and Franco. Owens has a great way of muscling competitors on the indoor track, Yardley has true grit in the 400, overcoming an early season hamstring strain. Bluth has become a premier 800 runner as he has enhanced his 400 speed by adding endurance from hard training and Franco has a new found ability to finish strong in the mile. Put together and they are one of the strongest DMR teams in the NCAA."