Brigham Young
BASKETBALL: Months after the conclusion of the season, Cougar basketball fans continue to make noise with the NCAA's announcement that BYU men's basketball achieved the nation's largest average increase over the prior season. In the process, BYU averaged the 17th largest crowd in the nation last year at 14,468.
BYU had an average increase of 5,838 from the 8,630 that attended Cougar games the prior season during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
SOFTBALL HONORS: BYU outfielder Oli Keohohou and catcher Lauren Watson have been named to the Easton Sports 2003 Softball All-American team.
Keohohou was also named an NFCA All-American last month for the third consecutive year, while Watson's selection marks the first time a Cougar other than Keohohou has been named an All-American.
Watson, a sophomore who also plays in the outfield, was an All-MWC and All-Region selection in 2003. The native of Castaic, Calif., batted .379 with 66 hits, 10 home runs and 32 RBI in the lead-off position.
Both Keohohou and Watson return to the Cougar lineup in the 2004 season.
Utah State
TRACK/FIELD: Former Aggie great James Parker won the hammer throw at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Palo Alto, Calif., last weekend. Parker won the event with a toss of 73.04 meters (239.07).
With his victory, Parker has put himself in position to go to the World Championships in Paris, France, later this summer provided he meets the world championship standard throw, which is 252 feet.
HONORS: Utah State senior tight end Chris Cooley was named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey award, which is given annually to the nation's top collegiate tight end. Cooley is one of just 22 players named to the list, which is sponsored by the Nassau County (N.Y.) Sports Commission.
Cooley, a 6-4, 252-pound senior, is coming off a strong junior season as he caught 31 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns. His 31 receptions were the most by an Aggie tight end since 1999. The former Logan High School standout, closed the year with consecutive 100-yard receiving games, including 134 yards on seven receptions against Troy State, the most by a USU tight end.
Brighton High
SPEEDSKATING: Joshua Lee, a 15-year-old long track speedskater in the Utah Olympic Oval program, has been selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to participate in its 10th session of the F.L.A.M.E. (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere) program. A junior at Brighton High School, Lee of Salt Lake City is one of 35 youths from around the country attending the program on July 9-13 in Colorado Springs.