BYU men’s track and field middle distance runner Tyler Mathews was named the Big 12 Outstanding Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.

“Coach [Ryan] Waite has done an excellent job with Tyler’s continued development,” said director of track and field Ed Eyestone. “Tyler was a phenomenal talent as a junior in high school and now as a true freshman is one of the top talents in all of Division I. It is a sign of Tyler’s amazing work ethic coupled with Coach Waite’s gifted guidance. Tyler has an intuitive ability to position himself in races that allows him to be a factor in every race he enters.”

Mathews has had phenomenal success in his first year as a Cougar, headlined by a school-record performance in the indoor 800-meters. The runner from Mesa, Arizona achieved the feat at the 2025 Husky Classic meet with a 1:46.62 finishing time. He was also a member of the distance medley relay team that secured a new program record this season in 9:20.72.

“The Big 12 is one of the premier track and field conferences, consistently producing Olympic and World Championship athletes,” said Waite. “For Tyler to be recognized by the coaches in this conference as the Outstanding Freshman says a lot about not only the level he is running right now, but the level that he can run as he continues to grow in the sport. We’re extremely proud of him and grateful he is a Coug!”

The men’s and women’s programs are set to compete at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Mar. 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

BYU swimmer Mackenzie Miller Lung headed to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swim and Dive Championships

BYU’s Mackenzie Miller Lung has qualified for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swim and Dive Championships, the NCAA and USA Swimming announced on Wednesday.

Fresh off a BYU record-breaking week at Big 12 Championships at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington, Miller Lung will now return there to compete for a national title March 19-22 in three events: 200 breast, 100 breast and 200 individual medley.

“Mackenzie has truly committed herself to improving this season,” said BYU head swim and dive coach Tamber McAllister. “Her unwavering consistency, dedication, and hard work have directly impacted her success.”

Miller Lung became BYU’s first ever women’s swimmer to win a Big 12 individual championship when, on March 1, she clocked a personal best and BYU-record 2:06.53 to seize the 200 breast conference title by over three seconds. At 2:06.53, Miller Lung enters NCAA Championships ranked fifth nationally in the 200 breast.

A day prior to her 200 breast title surge, Miller Lung became the first ever BYU women’s swimmer to clock a sub-minute time in the 100 breast. With a personal-best 58.60, Miller Lung finished third in the conference in the event and now ranks 14th nationally. The only two Big 12 swimmers to finish ahead of Miller Lung in the 100 breast, Joleigh Crye of Cincinnati and Houston’s Henrietta Fangli, rank in the top 10. Miller Lung added a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM to her breaststroke podium placements.

With All-Big 12 First Team achievements in both breaststroke events and the 200 individual medley relay, Miller Lung became BYU’s first women’s swimmer to earn three All-Big 12 designations in a season and its first individual conference champion since Brynn Sproul in 2022.

Miller Lung, a junior from Clovis, California, is also the Cougars’ first NCAA entry since Katie McBratney in 2021.

Fans can watch Miller Lung compete at NCAAs with live coverage from Federal Way on ESPN+. Preliminary races will be streamed daily at 10 a.m. PDT with finals at 6 p.m.

Cougar baseball loses home opener to Stetson

Despite a three-run ninth inning, BYU baseball came up short 6-5 in its home opener versus Stetson on Wednesday at Miller Park.

“We had a lot of chances in the middle innings and just couldn’t come up with the big hit,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “It was a good baseball game. I’m proud of our guys, they kept playing and battled back. Stetson just made a couple of big pitches and deliver one more big hit than we did.”

Stetson jumped out ot an early lead in the first inning with a solo home run. The Hatters then added a second run in the top of the second for an early 2-0 lead.

Stetson extended its lead in the top of the fifth with a three-run inning for a 5-0 lead off a 2-RBI triple and third run coming in moments later.

BYU responded in the bottom of the fifth with its first run of the day. Parker Goff walked and moved to second in single to center by Crew McChesney. Ryder Robinson then singled to left to score Goff to cut the Hatters’ lead to 5-1.

The Cougar defense held Stetson scoreless during the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. McChesney captialized on empty Hatter half innings and brought in Brock Watkins in the seventh on a single to left, cutting the defecit to 5-2. Following McChesney’s hit, BYU loaded the bases but was unable to take advantage and stranded three.

Stetson scored what would become the winning run in the top of the ninth, on a RBI single for a 6-2 lead.

The Cougars were able to string together four straight hits in the bootom of the ninth. Robinson doubling and Easton Jones knocking in a single. Robinson then came home moments later on a Cooper Vest double to right. The Cougars then closed within one as Luke Anderson scored Vest and Jones on a two-RBI single to center.

With Anderson on first and the go-ahead run at the plate, BYU was unable to capitalize and ended the game on a pair of strikeouts.

BYU continues its four-game series with Stetson with games Thursday (late), Friday and Saturday.