BYU's Sandberg Earns Mountain West Conference Cross Country Honors

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU freshmen Breanne Sandberg has been selected as the Mountain West Conference women's cross country athlete of the week.

Sandberg, from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., finished first (out of collegiate runners) at the BYU Autumn Classic on Sept. 14. She ran the 6K course in 20:57, her fastest time ever, to pace the Cougar runners to a first place finish. BYU head coach, Patrick Shane, said Sandberg ran the best race of her life and she could be one of his top seven athletes this year.

For the men, Air Force junior Ben Payne was selected as the Mountain West Conference men's cross country athlete of the week. Payne, an Arvada, Colo. native, finished first out of 114 runners at the UNM Lobo Invitational on Sept. 14. He ran the 8K course in a career-best 24:01, to pace the Falcon runners to a second place finish. His time is also currently 10th fastest in MWC history.