Mantz receives national honor for second time in three weeks

NEW ORLEANS – No. 5 BYU men’s cross country runner Conner Mantz was honored as NCAA Division I National Men’s co-Athlete of the Week, the USTFCCCA announced on Monday.

Mantz garnered the award after finishing first with a course-record 22:47.0 in the men’s 8K at the FSU XC Invite/Pre-Nationals at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida on Oct. 15.

The reigning USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year shared the weekly award with Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State. Kiptoo won the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Friday. Mantz pulled away to beat Kiptoo after a neck-and-neck race at the Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minnesota on Sept. 24.

This marks Mantz’s third career recognition as National Athlete of the Week. The USTFCCCA honored the senior from Smithfield, Utah just three weeks ago following his win in Minnesota. As a sophomore, Mantz took home the award after a win at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Oregon on Sept. 28, 2019.

Mantz and the Cougars will compete for their seventh consecutive West Coast Conference Championship at Newhall Community Park in Concord, California on Friday, Oct. 29.