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Casey Clinger's podium finish highlighted three more first-team All-Americans for the 14th-ranked BYU men's track and field program on the first day of the NCAA outdoor championships Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
Clinger finished third in the 10,000-meter finals, trailing only Stanford's Ky Robinson and Charles Hicks to finish in 28 minutes, 13.63 seconds, trailing only the Cardinal duo who ran a sub-56 split in the final 400 meters to finish back-to-back atop the podium. The American Fork product earned his 10th All-American status across a decorated cross country, indoor and out door track and field career.
Robinson finished first in 28:10.96, followed by Hicks in 28:12.20. BYU senior Brandon Garnica, who hails from Springville, finished 16th in 29:38.56.
A four-time program record holder, Clinger had never made first-team All-American status in the 10,000 meter. He twice earned indoor All-American first team honors in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters, and three outdoor second-team All-America honors in 2021 and 2022 in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Garnica earned second-team outdoor All-American honors for the second time in his career.
But Wednesday's finish was a first podium first for Clinger, who became the sixth BYU harrier to finish in the top-three in the men's 10,000 at outdoor nationals since 2010.
"He ran the perfect race," BYU coach Ed Eyestone said in a news release from the school. "That first mile was so fast and in these conditions, that's a gut punch. But he was patient and moved up gradually to be in great position going into that final kick. I'm super happy with how he gutted it out."
WHAT A FINISH 🤯
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) June 8, 2023
Ky Robinson and Charles Hicks take first and second place in the @NCAATrackField 10000m for @StanfordXCTF! pic.twitter.com/jnxD7pY7Ya
BYU's 9.5 points midway through the competition is good for eighth nationally. Arkansas is first with 21 points, three points better than Stanford. Arizona (16), LSU (15) and Harvard (13) round out the top five.
Cameron Bates captured first-team All-American honors in the javelin, throwing for 245 feet, 1 inch (74.71 meters). The former Maple Mountain standout is one of 12 BYU throwers to earn All-American status in program history — and he did it twice, after clinching first-team honors in 2021, as well.
Bates captured the Cougars' first first-team All-American honors in the javelin since Jari Keihas in 1979 and 1980.
"Cameron was able to come in clutch [at regionals] and make it to the finals," BYU assistant throws coach Nik Arrhenius said. "He wasn't able to improve upon that throw so remained in eighth. Coming back from surgery last year and throwing farther than he did at nationals two years ago is a great accomplishment."
Caleb Witsken added a sixth-place finish for first-team All-American honors in the pole vault, clearing a personal-best mark of 18-4 1/2 to tie Robison Pratt for the second-best mark in program history.
Kenneth Rooks, the American collegiate record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finished third in his semifinal heat with a time of 8:35.79 to advance to Friday's finals. Weber State junior Bronson Winter finished 24th in semifinals in a time of 9:12.30 and did not advance.
New PR ✔️
— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) June 8, 2023
No. 2 All-Time ✔️ pic.twitter.com/ObYFxnMquC
BYU sophomore Ben Barton opened the first day of the decathlon with the second-best effort in the 400-meter run and the third-best performance in the high jump at 6 feet, 7 inches. Barton also added a top-10 finish in the 100-meter dash in 10.74, before finishing 15th in the long jump (7.03 meters) and 18th in the shot put (13.19 meters) before wrapping up the night with a 46.88 400.
That boosted Barton to eighth place after the first day with 4,196 points, 395 points behind Texas' Leo Neugebauer for the lead.
The Cougars' 4x400-meter relay squad of Trey Jackson, Jace Jensen, Eli Hazlett and Josh Taylor broke its own school record with a time of 3:02.92, but finished 17th in the semifinals and did not advance to Friday's finale.
Southern Utah sophomore Cedar English posted a 24-1 3/4 for a 24th-place finish in the long jump.
Barton continues the decathlon Thursday with the 110 hurdles at 11 a.m. MDT. Thursday also begins the women's outdoor championships, beginning with defending national champion Ashton Riner-Lunt in the javelin at 5:45 p.m. MDT.
All events are streamed live on ESPN+, with coverage on ESPN2 beginning around 6 p.m. MDT.
