BYU sports: Cougars finish second to Cal in rugby

PROVO — The BYU rugby team (14-4) won its USARFU Collegiate semifinal game against Colorado 42-13 last weekend. Then in last Saturday's championship game the Cougars lost for the third straight year to Cal, who has now won five titles in a row.

"I was pleased with our performance up until Saturday, which was a hard day," BYU head coach David Smyth said. "But we had a great season and learned a lot of things."

The Cougars will now start an off-season full of the normal adjustments that all college athletic programs have to face. The Cougars will lose four or five players this off-season due to graduation, but this off-season coach Smyth thinks that they need to revamp how they prepare for the season.

"We need to work on strength and conditioning," he said. "I think Cal exposed some of those weaknesses that other teams didn't, and I think we need to get these kids stronger and fitter."

LACROSSE: The Cougars beat Colorado last Friday and then Colorado State on Saturday to clinch the RMLC Division I Championship. BYU will now move on to compete in the MCLA Championships and the Cougars are coming in hot with a 14-4 record — having won nine straight.

TRACK AND FIELD: Only the Cougar men were in action as sophomore Nick Herald and freshman Jordan Calderwood finished in second and third place respectively in the 100-meter dash at the Weber State Wildcat Invitational last weekend. Herald also led the Cougars by finishing third in the 200-meter with a time of 22.74 seconds. Bryce Bergen finished second in the high jump — clearing 6 feet 10.75 inches as the Cougars had several athletes place in the meet.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its 2008 Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Teams last week. BYU seniors Ivan Perez and Russell Holmes were each awarded their third straight All-America honor.

Holmes, a middle blocker from Fountain Valley, Calif., was recognized as First-Team All-American and Perez, an outside hitter from Mayguez, Puerto Rico, earned Second-Team All-America honors after being First-Team in 2007.

SOFTBALL: BYU handled Northern Colorado easily last week before going into a two-game series against Utah last weekend. The Cougars got a 5-4 win over the Utes on Friday, but Utah avenged by winning 4-3 on Saturday in extra innings. The Cougar and Utes split both of their season series 2-2.

BASEBALL: The Cougars started last week out with a bang — beating Northern Colorado 10-5 on Monday and 17-10 on Tuesday. But in a series this past weekend against New Mexico, the Cougars only got Friday's game as they lost the three game series to the Lobos. BYU is now 19-28 on the season (7-11 MWC).

ON TAP

BASEBALL: vs. Washington State on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; vs. San Diego State on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

SOFTBALL: vs. UVU on Tuesday at 5 p.m.; at Colorado State doubleheader on Thursday; at New Mexico on Friday and Saturday.

TRACK AND FIELD: at University of Utah Twilight meet on Wednesday.

WOMEN'S GOLF: at NCAA Women's Golf Championship Regional in Lincoln, Calif., Thursday through Saturday.

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E-mail: ethomas@desnews.com

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