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.
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.
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.
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.
"I am extremely proud of how these women competed this indoor season," BYU associated director of track and field Diljeet Taylor said. "Their outstanding efforts were recognized with this honor and I know they will be grateful for the recognition.”
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.
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.