BYU Roundup: Men’s cross country takes Nuttycomb Invite title
Courtesy BYU Athletics
The BYU men's cross country team starts off the 8K race at the Nuttycomb Invitational in Madison, Wisc., on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.MADISON, Wis. — BYU men’s cross country took the overall team win at the 2024 Nuttycombe Invitational with 44 points on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course Friday afternoon.
The Cougars took the victory in the Championship A Race with the top-five scoring runners all placing within the top 17 finishers. The next closest competitor was fellow Big 12 program Iowa State which acquired 108 points. Wake Forest followed in third with 150 points.
Senior Casey Clinger ran a consistent race in the front pack for a majority of the race. With 1k to go, Clinger lost contact with the group led by 2024 NCAA Outdoor 10k Champion Parker Wolfe of North Carolina who went on to win the race. Clinger crossed the finish fourth overall as the first Cougar across the line in 23:10.4.
The pack of seniors continued with Joey Nokes followed closely behind to place sixth overall in 23:21.4. Creed Thompson and Aidan Troutner finished in stride placing eighth and night, respectively. Sophomore James Corrigan was BYU’s fifth place runner, crossing in 23:48.8 to finish 17th overall in his first race since the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this summer.
The Men’s 8k B Race saw true freshman Berkley Nance claim the overall individual victory, crossing the finish in 24:21.4. The race marks Nance’s first time competing in a BYU uniform.
Lucas Bons led for a majority of the race, opening up a substantial lead halfway at the 4k mark. The junior who earned third place 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this year finished in stride with Nance securing second place overall.
The Cougars will head to the University of Oregon to compete at the 2024 Bill Dellinger Invitational on Friday, Oct. 11 at 12:15 p.m. MDT.
Men’s basketball adds Boskovic to 2024-25 roster
BYU head men’s basketball coach Kevin Young announced the addition of Mihailo Boskovic to the 2024-25 roster on Friday afternoon.
“We’re excited to add to Mihailo our group,” Young said. “He’s a great young man. His versatility on both ends of the floor is a welcomed addition to group with his shooting and athleticism. He can play multiple positions and really knows how to play.”
The 6-foot-10 forward was named the MVP at the FIBA U20 European Championship, Division B in 2022 after helping Serbia claim the team title. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 blocks per game as the Serbians went 7-0. In the final against Iceland, he finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Boskovic spent last season at BC Igokea, averaging 13.3 minutes per game in 18 appearances in Liga ABA. He scored a season-high 11 points in a 90-84 win over Krka going a perfect 4-of-6 from the field, 1-of-3 from three and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. He also appeared in 12 games in Bosnian BiH Liga.
The native of Uzice, Serbia spent two seasons at KK Dynamic of the Serbian KLS. He appeared in 28 games including 26 starts during the 2022-23 campaign averaging 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He recorded four double-doubles including a 14-point, 11-rebound performance off the bench against KK Spartak Subotica.
The Cougars open the 2024-25 season on Nov. 5 when they welcome Central Arkansas to the Marriott Center for their first all-time meeting.
Former Cougar Spencer Johnson signs with British pro team
The Leicester Riders have announced the signing of American Spencer Johnson for the 2024-25 season.
“Leicester has an amazing basketball tradition and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Johnson said. “I have high expectations for this team this season and I can’t wait to give my heart to this club.”
The 6-foot-5 wing comes from BYU, where he spent four seasons of his collegiate career. Johnson averaged 11.5 points as a senior for the Cougars on 51% shooting from the field, and logged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in his graduate year on his way to a 23-11 record.
Johnson, a Utah native, had a decorated college career, seeing him named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, receive an All-Big 12 Honourable Mention in 2024 and an All-WCC Honorable Mention in 2023.
He is no stranger to the big stage, going off for 11 points and 16 rebounds in the 2024 NCAA Tournament against Duquesne. It was one of 47 occasions Johnson scored in double digits for BYU, including a career-high 28 in a win over Iowa State in January.
Prior to BYU, he suited up for Salt Lake Community College. Johnson helped Salt Lake to a record of 29-4 and the No. 4 overall seed in the NJCAA National Tournament, averaging 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 49.0 percent from the field.
The 27-year-old now takes his first step into professional basketball, signing with the Riders for his rookie season.
“Spencer had a great career at BYU,” Leicester head coach Rob Paternostro said. “He’s an enjoyable player to watch. He’s a guard that does variety of things really well. He can rebound and pass the ball, and he’s an all around player who is also known for his defensive ability. I really look forward to seeing him on the floor.”
