For four years Casey Clinger, the junior from BYU via American Fork High, has set records and won honors, but one thing had eluded him: He had never earned first-team All-American honors in track and field — until this weekend.
On Friday night, Clinger finished second in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, easily his best performance in a national championships race.
Clinger finished with a time of 13:38.12, which left him less than one second behind Tennessee’s Dylan Jacobs (13:37.59). Clinger’s teammate, sophomore Joey Nokes, was 10th, clocking 14:01.43.
That performance added to Clinger’s growing legacy at BYU, which has a long tradition of producing standout distance runners. Clinger holds indoor school records at 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the outdoor school record at 5,000 meters
Meanwhile, the University of Utah’s Emily Venters, a senior from Lawrence, Kan., finished fifth in the women’s 5,000-meter race, with a time of 16:25.28. She ran aggressively from the start and led much of the race.
The race was won by North Carolina State’s sophomore sensation Katelyn Tuohy with a time of 16:09.65. Tuohy has already set national collegiate records this winter in the mile, the 1,500 and the 3,000.
BYU’s Aubrey Frentheway was 12th with a time of 16:38.77.
Venters becomes the just the fourth track athlete from the University of Utah to earn All-America honors in the NCAA indoor championships. She tied for the school’s best individual finish ever in this meet.
BYU’s Claire Seymour advanced to Saturday’s finals in the 800-meter run. She had the fourth-fastest time in Friday’s trials, 2:02.92. Seymour placed second in last year’s NCAA indoor championships.
BYU’s Caleb Witsken placed sixth in the pole vault with a clearance of 18-4 3/4. BYU placed seventh and eight in the women’s and men’s distance medley relay, respectively.
In other local news, BYU freshman Riley Chamberlain was 15th in the trials of the mile and did not advance to today’s finals. BYU’s Cailee Faulkner no-heighted in the pole vault.