Clinger's victory came in 19:32.09 with teammate Creed Thompson crossing second in 19:40.20. The 2024 Autumn Classic marks Clinger's first race representing BYU since the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-time All-American missed collegiate competition for over 14 months battling injury.
"I'm very excited about Casey's debut this season," said BYU men's cross country head coach Ed Eyestone. "It was fun seeing him running on grass again. He ran a very intelligent race. He put down a nice last 600-meters and it was great to see him bring in his teammate Creed Thompson behind him."
Thompson also returned to action on Friday after an injury that sidelined him since finishing 46th at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Twin brothers Jacob and Garrett Stanford crossed the finish within two seconds of each other, placing sixth and seventh respectively. Mark Boyle rounded out BYU's scoring, placing 13th overall.
Up Next
The Cougars will travel outside the state for the first time this season to Madison, Wisconsin to compete at the Nuttycombe Invitational Friday September 27. The Men's B Race is set for 11:40 a.m. CT while the Men's Championship Race is planned for 1 p.m. CT with live stream coverage on RunnerSpace.
