Brigham Young
ACADEMIC HONORS: Academic All-District diver Nathan Cook was one of 20 BYU athletes named to the recently released Academic All-Western Athletic Conference selections.Cook, a three-time Academic All-WAC selection from Bountiful, had a 3.64 cumulative grade point average in psychology.
In men's basketball, Grant Berges was a repeat selection with a 3.85 GPA in exercise physiology/medicine and was joined by teammate Lance Archibald, 3.64 in finance.
In women's basketball Kari Gallup, 3.63 in math education was a repeat Academic All-WAC choice and is joined by teammate Ann Riggs, 3.59 in zoology.
In women's swimming, the Cougars had six selections: repeat Academic All-WAC Nicole Collard, 3.88 in athletic training; Julie Parkinson, 3.24 in zoology, and Kristin Reeder, 3.30; Corrie Sorensen, 3.35, Sarah Street, 3.85, and Karen Woolley, 3.94, all in open majors.
In men's swimming joining Cook was repeat selection Richard Barnes, 3.55 in English; and teammates Jared Allen, 3.61 in chemical engineering; Tyler Burgener, 3.50 in mechanical engineering, Sean Moore, 3.60 in chemical engineering; John Parise, 3.65 in mechanical engineering; and Byron Shefchik, 3.76 in pre-physical therapy.
In wrestling the Cougar had two repeat Academic All-WAC selections in Jared Coleman, 3.71 in philosophy; and Greg Schroeder, 3.54 in pre-physical therapy; joined by teammate Gary Sanderson, 3.33 in an open major.
To qualify for the award, athletes must be at least a sophomore in status, must have completed one academic year at the member institution, participated in at least 50 percent of the team's contests and achieved at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average.
WOMEN GOLFERS 19TH: Despite shooting a respectable 308, BYU's women's golf team finds itself in 19th place after Thursday's first round of the NCAA West Regional in Tucson, Arizona.
"We really should have shot about 303," said Cougar coach Gary Howard. "This is the kind of course where there really isn't anything to separate the teams. There isn't really an advantage for the more skilled players as opposed to the less skilled. We just need to play it better."
In first-place in the 20-team tournament is sixth-ranked Stanford (287). Surprising 25th-ranked Washington is in second (289), with third-ranked Arizona State third (290) and 21st-ranked New Mexico State fourth (293). Top-ranked San Jose State stands at fifth (294), with second-ranked Arizona and ninth-ranked Tulsa tied at sixth (295). UCLA (296), Oregon and Texas A&M (298) and Texas (299), also shot sub-300 rounds. Four teams are tied at 301 and two more are locked at 303. Northern Arizona is just ahead of the Cougars at 306, with Oregon State well back at 314.
Leading the way for the Cougars is junior Susanne Gillemo, who's two-over par 74 included a one-under par 35 on the front nine and leaves her tied for 30th in the individual race. Jamie Stevensen and Catalina Navarro are tied for 68th at 77. Stevensen matched Gillemo with a 35 on the front nine, but ballooned to a 42 on the back nine. Fredrika Schlasberg shot 80 and Merrilyn Gibbs an 82.
San Jose State's Janice Moodie and Washington's Dodie Mazzuca are tied for the lead with three-under par 69s.
The tournament continues today and Saturday. The top 11 teams and the top two individuals from non-qualifying teams will advance to the NCAA tournament in late May.