Utah
FOOTBALL HONOR: Punter Chris Hunter not only won this week's AT&T Long Distance Award for punting in the NCAA Division I-A football, he set the award's record for average.
His 80-yard punt in the first quarter was the fourth-longest in school history, and he added a 46-yarder later to average 63.0 ypp in last Saturday's 21-13 loss at Tulsa. It is the highest single-game average in the seven-year history of the AT&T Long Distance Award.
In honor of Hunter's achievement, AT&T has donated $400 to the NCAA Foundation's Degree-Completion Scholarship Program. Hunter will receive an engraved plaque.
CROSS COUNTRY: Cross country coach Mike Jones has been named the 1997 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Jones led the Ute men to a second-place finish at the 1997 WAC Championships in Fresno, Calif. The second-place finish by the men is the best from any Ute cross country team in the '90s.
Jones has been at the helm of the Utah cross country and track programs for the last 19 seasons. Jones has twice been named conference coach of the year. He received the award the first time in 1984.
"It is an honor that is usually reserved for the coach of the first-place team," Jones said. "I feel very honored to be recognized by my coaching peers."
Brigham Young
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The fifth-ranked women's volleyball team (20-5, 10-1) looks to rebound from its first loss in WAC Mountain Division play in over a year when it takes on UNLV (8-13, 1-8) and Air Force (5-22, 0-9) Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Smith Fieldhouse.
These will be the final WAC contests at home for the Cougars this year. In mid October, BYU defeated UNLV 15-1, 15-9, 15-7 in Las Vegas and beat Air Force 15-2, 15-3, 15-3 in Colorado Springs.
BYU is 20-5 on the season. As a team, the Cougars are hitting .286 and opponents are hitting .141. The Cougars are averaging 16.73 kills per game, 15.37 digs per game and 3.25 blocks per game.
Weber State
MEN'S BASKETBALL: The men's exhibition basketball game vs. the Son's Blue Angels is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in the Dee Events Center.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday. Some fans may have the incorrect day on their season tickets. Tickets are $11, $9 and $7, with a $2 discount for children and senior citizens. Call (801) 626-8500 for ticket information.