BYU sports rake in top accolades during 2018-19 seasons

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Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo
Brenna Chase celebrates a three-pointer in BYU’s first-round victory of Auburn in the NCAA tournament. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)

The 2018-19 athletic seasons have been filled with BYU championships and outstanding performances.

On the national stage, women’s volleyball found themselves in the final four, and Clayton Young of men’s track and field was crowned a national champion in the outdoor 10K. Men’s cross country took second place at the NCAA championships, and the women placed seventh. Both track and field teams placed in the top 25 at nationals with the men and women placing 8th and 25th, respectively

Men’s golf participated in the NCAA championships, and women’s basketball made it to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament. Two swimmers, Payton Sorenson and Brynn Sproul, qualified for the Olympic trials, and Sorenson also swam in the NCAA championships. Nationally, gymnastics was ranked as high as No. 6 in the NCAA. Football also received national recognition, winning the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with Zach Wilson throwing a perfect 18 for 18.

In conference play, BYU stole the show with several conference championships. Women’s basketball defeated top-seeded Gonzaga to capture the WCC title in Las Vegas. Men’s and women’s cross country both won conference titles and softball won its sixth straight WCC title. Women’s soccer added another WCC title, their sixth in the last seven seasons, and baseball was named the outright regular season conference champion.

Due to its success in women’s sports, BYU currently sits 20th in the Capital One Cup women’s standings. According to the Capital One Cup website, the award is given to the best men’s and women’s Division I athletics programs in the United States. Institutions earn points based on the final standings in the NCAA Championships and coaches polls. The winning men’s and women’s programs receive $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships, and the trophy is given to the winning schools at the ESPY awards every July.

In addition to the NCAA Division I affiliated teams, club and extramural teams also made history for BYU during the 2018-19 athletic seasons.

Women’s rugby took home the national title in commanding fashion, winning the championship game 48-0 over Virginia Tech. The hockey team won their conference for the first time in team history, and men’s soccer reached the elite 8. The men’s and women’s racquetball teams saw seven of their athletes win individual national championships, also finishing second and third, respectively. Women’s lacrosse took home a fourth-place finish at nationals and men’s rugby added another conference title.

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