Cougar Gold

Jul 23 2024 9 ep. 32 mins 1
Cougar Gold Podcast artwork

The Cougars have a rich history of Olympians and 2024 is no different. Seven current and former BYU Track athletes will be vying for Olympic gold at the 2024 Summer Games. Courtney Wayment, Whittni Orton Morgan, Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Kenneth Rooks, and James Corrigan will run for Team USA while Rory Linkletter represents Team Canada. BYU is a big reason for their success. Host Zach Hunter finds out how BYU influenced their running careers and lives. Plus, hear from Cougar coaches and trainers who have helped these runners achieve greatness.

  Sports  Education  Society & Culture
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TRAILER: Cougar Gold – A Special BYUradio Sports Series

Jul 22 2024 1 mins  
Listen to Cougar Gold starting July 24th, 2024!

Dustin Williams – Co-Head Athletic Trainer Team USA Track and Field

Jul 23 2024 36 mins  
Dustin Williams is a trainer for the track stars. He is the head trainer for BYU's Track and Field program and a Co-Head athletic trainer for Team USA. So, not only has he helped BYU Olympians like Courtney Wayment and Kenneth Rooks, but he's also treated the likes of Noah Lyles and Anna Hall. Williams talks about his role with Team USA, building trust with Olympians, and what he�

Kenneth Rooks – Men’s Steeplechase

Jul 23 2024 40 mins  
The man who cannot be stopped. Kenneth Rooks is steadily becoming the biggest name in American steeplechase running. The former BYU runner is best known for winning the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2023 US Track and Field Outdoor Championships after falling over a hurdle. This year, he placed first overall at the US Olympic Trials to punch his ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris

Dr. Iain Hunter

Jul 23 2024 30 mins  
Dr. Iain Hunter is not only a sports scientist and biomechanics professor at BYU, he is also a steeplechase biomechanist for USA Track and Field. He works with distance runners, focusing heavily on the "Super Shoe". He isn’t just a scientist, but a runner in his own right. In 2023 he was #1 in the world in his age group for the marathon and has a personal best time of 2 hours and

Rory Linkletter – Men’s Marathon

Jul 23 2024 34 mins  
Professional Marathoner Rory Linkletter is set to compete for Team Canada in the men’s Olympic marathon. The Calgary, Alberta native began his collegiate career as a walk-on for the BYU cross-country team. In his time as a Cougar, Rory moved his way to the front of the pack where he placed second overall in the 10,000-meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships his sophomore season.

Whittni Morgan – Women’s 5,000-meter

Jul 23 2024 36 mins  
Whittni Morgan is a resilient runner. The Panguitch, Utah native has battled many injuries in her collegiate and professional career. But, the former 2021 NCAA Cross Country champion bounced back from an injury and surgery last fall to place 5th at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 5k. Due to shake-ups in the competition field, Whittni was selected to the Team USA roster and will

Ed Eyestone – BYU Director of Track and Field/Cross Country

Jul 23 2024 41 mins  
The Olympian who builds Olympians. Ed Eyestone has arguably one of the best resumes in American distance running. When he competed for BYU, Ed was a three-time NCAA Individual champion in the 10k, 5k, and Cross Country achieving the elusive ‘Triple Crown’. During his professional career, he competed in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Marathons and was a 5 time U.S. Road Racer of the

Courtney Wayment – Women’s Steeplechase

Jul 23 2024 35 mins  
Courtney Wayment was set on becoming a soccer star in high school. But that all changed after becoming a Nike Cross Nationals All-American and being nominated for Utah’s Gatorade Player of the Year for Cross Country. Wayment fully committed to running and signed on to do it for BYU. In her final season as a Cougar, Courtney took the NCAA indoor 5000m title and the Outdoor 3000m s

James Corrigan – Men’s Steeplechase

Jul 23 2024 35 mins  
2024 has been James Corrigan's year. The BYU runner was the Big 12 champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase, a seven-and-a-half lap race around the track involving barriers and a water pit. Then, after finishing ninth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, he competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials just two weeks later and surprised the world by finishing third. Normally the top three go to