PROVO, Utah — BYU men’s cross country opens up its 2023 season hosting the Autumn Classic at the Clarence F. Robison Track and Field Complex on Friday.
The women's 5k will start at 10:00 a.m. followed by the men's 4-mile at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free.
After coming off a third-place team finish at last season's NCAA Division I Championships, the Cougars enter the meet ranked No. 3 in the USTFCCCA National Preseason Poll and No. 2 in the Mountain Region.
The Cougars bring experience to the roster with five runners returning who raced at nationals a season ago.
Four-time All-American Casey Clinger will lead the Cougars, having placed seventh in the 2022 NCAA Championships with a time of 28:58.7. Following the 2022 season, he has competed in 18 meets for the Cougars, finishing in the top-10 in 16 races and top-5 in 11 races. Clinger has accrued seven podium finishes and two meet wins (2020-21 Weber State Invitational, 2022 WCC Championships) in his collegiate career.
Veteran Aidan Troutner will join Clinger as a fellow captain having competed in 14 career meets, with six top-10 finishes on his resume. All-American twins Davin and Creed Thompson are set to enter their junior season after both finishing in the top-35 at the champhionship meet. Joey Nokes will also return, having been awarded West Coast Conference First Team and All-Mountain Region honors last season.
Projected Starting Seven
- Lucas Bons
- James Corrigan
- Luke Grundvig
- Joey Nokes
- Garret Stanford
- Jacob Stanford
- Creed Thompson