By Layton Shumway
Strong team cross-country finishes and an individual national champion have propelled the BYU Cougars to 13th in the nation in the United States Sports Academy Directors” Cup.
The Directors” Cup, a competition that ranks several men”s and women”s sports from universities across the country, released its current standings Nov. 30 after the completion of men”s and women”s cross-country and field hockey. BYU ranked 13th overall, the highest out of Mountain West Conference teams.
Senior All-American Josh Rohatinsky won the men”s cross-country national championship on Nov. 20. His victory, coupled with good showings from junior Chandler Goodwin and sophomore Kyle Perry, helped the Cougars to an 11th-place finish at the national competition.
The women”s cross-country team finished in 22nd place behind the sixth-place finish of junior Kassi Andersen and solid performances by sophomores Amy Fowler and Amber Duffin.
The University of Colorado topped the current standings on the strength of a first-place finish in men”s cross-country and earned second place in women”s cross-country. Stanford, which has won twelve straight Directors” Cups, is currently second overall, with Wisconsin, Virginia and Arkansas rounding out the top five.
The final fall standings of the Directors” Cup, which will rank men”s and women”s cross-country, football, men”s and women”s soccer and women”s volleyball, will be released on Jan. 11. The overall final standings will be released next summer.
Last season the Cougars ranked 22nd in the fall standings, and finished the competition in 31st place after the summer sports ended.
