Stack the field.
That’s the goal for the BYU men’s and women’s track and field teams as the Cougars compete Wednesday through Saturday at the NCAA West Regionals in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“We are just trying to get as many people (as possible) finishing in the top 12 and advancing on to the national meet,” Ed Eyestone, director of BYU track and field, told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “I think we have a really good crew and a good opportunity.”
“We do a good job recruiting and bringing in the talent. When you have a system in place and running, success breeds success and we just want to keep that rolling for as long as we can.”
— BYU track coach Ed Eyestone
The No. 3 women’s team has 33 entries, including two by freshman phenom Jane Hedengren (5,000-meter and 10,000-meter). Sophomore Carter Cutting (1,500-meter) and freshman Tayvon Kitchen (5,000-meter) headline the No. 29 men’s squad and their 25 entries.
“If we can get some of these people that are ranked high or have done well last year (to qualify), I think we can definitely challenge for a top spot at the national meet,” said Eyestone, referring to a potential dark horse in the field in James Corrigan, a 2024 U.S. Olympian and last year’s 3,000-meter steeplechase national champion.
Injuries and illness have held him back in 2026, but he is good to go.
“He’s not ranked in the top 12, but I’ve got all the respect in the world for that young man,” Eyestone said. “I know what he can do when the pressure is on. We saw it when he made the Olympic team in 2024. We saw it last year when he ran against a very international field at the NCAA championships. We are just hoping he can recapture some of that.”
Keep rolling
BYU flew to Fayetteville on Tuesday. In two weeks, they will travel to the finals in Eugene, Oregon (June 10-13). For Eyestone, who is one of four runners in NCAA history to win individual national titles in cross country, 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter, taking Cougar contenders into combat is par for the course.
“To come back here was a dream come true. I have certainly built on the shoulders of giants before me. That was the main goal for myself when I came here — let’s just keep this thing rolling and see how good we can ultimately become,” said Eyestone, who has turned BYU into a running destination. “I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing assistant coaches (and staff). We have wonderful student-athletes that want to come and be a part of us.
“We do a good job recruiting and bringing in the talent. When you have a system in place and running, success breeds success and we just want to keep that rolling for as long as we can.”
High praise for Diljeet Taylor
In addition to being director of track and field, Eyestone oversees the men’s program while Diljeet Taylor runs the women’s distance squad, which includes Hedengren, who is already among the greatest collegians to ever compete.
“Jane was the golden lady out of (Timpview) high school, a generational talent. It’s a tough transition,” Eyestone said. “Coach Taylor did a wonderful job of making sure she did just enough, but not too much, and keeping her healthy. That’s probably the No. 1 thing when you are working with a talented woman like Jane Hedengren.”
Taylor has coached Hedengren to indoor national titles in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter and to a national runner-up finish in cross country.
“(Jane) will have her work cut out for her because there are going to be some people going after her as they are fresh and she is a little bit winded, coming back after the 10,000,” said Eyestone of Hedengren’s two outdoor events in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter. “But I think she has a great opportunity to do some major things. Sometimes you will have someone with that talent and ability who is a bit of a prima donna; the opposite is probably true of her. She is a team player. Coach Taylor has done a wonderful job to get her ready for the West Regionals and the national meet.”
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.