Feeling the excitement of the winning touchdown, witnessing a breath-taking three-point shot and hearing the exhilarating roar of a crowd going wild are just a few reasons why being a part of Cougar sports is one of the most exciting aspects of a BYU experience.
In case you missed it, here is just a small taste of BYU sports and the highlights that made the 2012-13 school year one to remember:
Rugby team wins national championship for the second year in a row
BYU went up early against the University of California-Berkley on May 4, and kept control throughout the game. Cal was able to tie the game at 24-24 with just over four minutes left, but a great run up the sidelines by junior Jordan Lowry set up the game winning kick by Linehan, giving the Cougars a 27-24 victory and a national championship.
“It’s a great way to go out in the last game of my college career,” team captain Ryan Roundy said after the game.
Women’s soccer makes it to the NCAA Elite Eight
In addition to having one of its most successful seasons in years, the BYU women’s soccer team won the West Coast Conference title and achieved its highest-ever national ranking at No. 2 after a 20-2-2 season record. BYU also had the highest average attendance in all of NCAA women’s soccer.
The Cougars’ season ended against North Carolina on Nov. 23 in a nail-biting double overtime 1-2 loss.
“It’s been an amazing year, we’ve accomplished a lot and I think the team has a lot to be proud of,” head coach Jennifer Rockwood said.
Men’s volleyball wins MPSF Conference title and makes it to the national championship
After an exhilarating 26-5 regular season, the men’s volleyball team squared off against defending champion UC Irvine in the national championship on May 4.
The Cougars suffered a heartbreaking 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Anteaters, but the team had an exciting run up until that point.
“I told the boys what a wonderful season it has been,” head coach Chris McGown said after the loss. “It’s been a remarkable run by these guys. I am so proud of our team and for what they represent, from the way they represented BYU to the way they carried themselves throughout the season and the way they battled.”
Football wins Poinsettia Bowl
With the third-best defense in the country, the Cougars overpowered San Diego State 23-6 to win the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20. Junior outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy blocked a punt, forced and recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, scored two touchdowns and made eight tackles to help lift the Cougars over the Aztecs.
Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah drafted by Detroit Lions in first round of NFL Draft
Ansah, a 6-foot-6-inch, 270-pound Ghana native, made headlines during his short time at BYU, wowing audiences with his unusual road to success and his athletic abilities. On April 25, the Detroit Lions drafted Ansah No. 5 in the NFL draft.
“I think this is fantastic for Ziggy and our program,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a written statement. “Our defense was No. 3 in the nation and Ziggy was a big part of that. It was a real honor for me to be part of this experience for Ziggy at the draft and over the past three years. To go from not playing football to a Top-5 pick in three years is a tribute to Ziggy and his willingness to work hard and also to our program.”
Tyler Haws comes back from LDS mission and set records as a sophomore
After returning from a mission to the Philippines, Haws was ready to make his sophomore season bigger than his freshman season.
Haws set BYU’s NIT single-game record with a game-high 37 points and became one of five Cougars to score at least 700 points in a single season, just to name a few of the things he did this season.
“Ty was outstanding,” head coach Dave Rose said. “He was so consistent.”
Led by the “Big 3,” BYU beats the Washington Huskies 90–79 in the NIT first round
Brandon Davies, Matt Carlino and Tyler Haws combined for a total of 79 points to lead BYU past Washington in the first round of the NIT tournament.
“I thought it was just a great game, a great atmosphere,” Rose said. “The crowd was really vocal, and there was a really good vibe and energy in the building … It was a battle between two teams, and I think we were playing to win. I’m really proud of our guys because I think that our effort was maybe as good as it’s been all year.”
Baseball has a turn-around year with first-year head coach Mike Littlewood
After several disappointing seasons, Littlewood helped the Cougars to a 32-21 season, and a second place West Coast Conference tie.
Redshirt pitcher Mark Oslund said Littlewood “is going to make BYU something special,” which seems to be exactly his goal.
“We want to establish an atmosphere where when we walk on the field, we expect to win,” Littlewood said. “If we put out a winning product, everybody’s going to want to be here, and that’s our goal.”
After fighting to recover from 3 medical red-shirt years, Haley Steed completes a 7-year legacy
With several women’s basketball recognitions — including ESPNW’s Player of the Week, West Coast Conference as Player of the Week and becoming a member of the All-Conference Team — Steed made a massive comeback after several devastating injuries. Steed is now a member of the 1,000 Points Club, is in BYU’s Top 10 3-point shooters and is BYU’s all-time assists leader.
“There was a time that I never thought I would get to this day,” Steed said. “I feel so grateful and so blessed that I’ve been able to be here for seven years. When you put so much effort and heart into something, it’s kind of hard to walk away.”
Cougar lacrosse makes it to the semifinals of the MCLA tournament
BYU lacrosse advanced to the MCLA tournament semifinals, defeating the University of Oregon 17-14 on May 14. The Cougars then lost 9-7 against Colorado State on May 16.
“We never questioned whether we would win the game,” head coach Matt Schneck said. “We just needed to get settled in.”
BYU track advances 7 athletes to National Championships
The BYU men’s track team qualified five athletes for the NCAA Track and Field Championships, held in Eugene, Oregon, June 5-8, including Jared Ward, Tyler Thatcher, Victor Weirich, Ryan Waite and Curtis Carr. Carr finished fourth in the steeplechase, while Weirich took fifth in the pole vault.
“We had some phenomenal performances,” men’s head coach Mark Robison said. “For the most part, everybody moved up from where they were ranked on the descending order list.”
The women’s team advanced two athletes to the national championships in Kelsey Brown and Natalie Stewart, but neither advanced to the finals.
