BYU’s Clayton Young wins NCAA 10,000m as three Cougars finish in the top 5

BYU’s Clayton Young was crowned as an Individual National Champion on Wednesday evening after winning the men’s NCAA 10,000 Meter race in Austin, TX.

Young, who is a Senior and was a key part of men’s cross-country’s second place finish last fall, recorded an astonishing 29:16.60 in the event. Young’s victory is BYU’s first individual outdoor track national champion since Kyle Perry, who won the steeplechase in 2009.

BYU’s great night got better a few seconds later, when Senior Connor McMillan and Sophomore Conner Mantz crossed the finish line third and fourth, respectively. McMillan posted a time of 29:19.85, just ahead of Mantz with 29:19.93. Rory Linkletter finished 15th in the race, and Dallin Farnsworth and Connor Weaver crossed the line at 21st and 23rd, respectively.

Elsewhere at the championships, all four BYU steeplechasers qualified for the final. Matt Owens, Kenneth Rooks, Clayson Shumway, and Jake Heslington all qualified, giving BYU four of the twelve spots in the final.

Talem Franco qualified for the men’s 1500 m final, which will take place on Friday.