BYU cross-country runner Laura Turner could become one of only a handful of BYU athletes who have earned All-Americam accolades four years in the same sport. Part of an even more select few who have interrupted their four-year All-Americam careers, Turner could become only the second BYU athlete on record — and the first female — to serve an LDS Church mission in between All-American honors.
Below are the four-year All-American athletes, their years honored and some specific disciplines or events. Also included are notes on interrupted careers.
Women's cross country
Elizabeth Jackson, 1996-1999
Women's diving
Courtney Nelson, 1988-1991 — four years on 10-meter platform; additional honors on 3-meter board.
Vanessa Bergman Thelin, 1991-1994 — four years on 3-meter board; additional honors on 1-meter board.
Men's golf
Ray Leach, 1969-1972
Mike Reid, 1973-1976
Mike Brannan, 1975-1978
Rick Fehr, 1981-1984
Andy Miller, 1997-2000
Men's gymnastics
Darren Elg, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996
INTERRUPTION: Elg served an LDS Church mission to Los Angeles from 1990 to 1992. He redshirted in 1994 because of a shoulder injury.
Women's soccer
Aleisha Rose, 2000-2003
Men's swimming
Arunas Savickas, 1998-2001 — individual backstroke and freestyle events
Women's swimming
LeLei Fonoimoana, 1977-79, 81 — individual butterfly and individual-medley events
INTERRUPTION: Fonoimoana interrupted her collegiate career to train for the 1980 Summer Olympics but did not compete because of the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Games
K.C. Cline, 1988-91 — individual backstroke and medley relay events
Men's track and field
Tito Steiner, 1977-1979, 81 — decathlon
INTERRUPTION: He returned to his native Argentina to train for the 1980 Moscow Summer Games.
Doug Padilla, 1978-1981 — individual and relay distance events
Oluyemi Kayode, 1990-1993 — individual and relay sprint events
Jeff Hansen, 1999-2002 - pole vault
Women's track and field
Maria Betioli Zanandrea, 1979-82 — four years in the outdoors high jump; additional honors in indoors high jump.
Tiffany Lott - 1994-95, 97-98 — four years in the outdoors heptathlon; additional honors in indoors heptathlon, indoors and outdoors hurdles and outdoors javalin.
INTERRUPTION: After redshirting the indoor season in 1996 to prepare for the Olympic-year outdoor season, Lott-Hogan suffered a severe knee injury her first week and missed the entire outdoors competition.
Amy Christiansen Palmer, 1994-1996, 1998 — four years in the outdoors shot put; additional honors in indoors shot put, indoors 20-pound weight and outdoors hammer.
INTERRUPTION: She redshirted in 1997 due to her coach's decision.
Men's volleyball
Ethan Watts, 1991-1994
Ryan Millar, 1996-1999
Three to watch
BYU high jumper Lindsey Steele Metcalf earned All-American honors her first three seasons of outdoors competition (2002-2004) and could earn a fourth in the spring of 2005.
BYU distance runner Kassi Andersen has won a three of All-American awards in both outdoors track (2002-2004) and two in cross country (2002-2003). With a year of track eligibility and a two years of cross-country eligibility remaining, she is currently rehabilitating from a broken pelvis suffered late this summer when hit by a vehicle while cross-training on a bicycle in American Fork Canyon.
BYU distance runner Breanne Sandberg earned All-American honors her first two seasons running cross country (2002-2003). With two years of eligibility remaining, Sandberg is currently serving an LDS Mission in Chile.
SOURCE: BYU Sports Information