Utah State campus briefs

MEN'S GOLF: Utah State's Tanner Higham shot a final round 75 to finish tied for 15th with an even-par 216 at the Cal State Northridge hosted Bill Cullum Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Simi Valley, Calif. As a team, Utah State finished in 14th place with a 29-over 893 (293-297-303).

Pacific won the team championship with a 21-under 843 (279-281-283), while UC Riverside finished second out of 17 teams with a 13-under 851 (297-279-275). Pacific's Alex Johnson took medalist honors with a 9-under 207 (66-68-73).

Higham, a freshman from Shelley, Idaho, had his best collegiate finish for USU as he carded rounds of 70 and 71 on Monday before shooting a final round 75 on Tuesday. Junior Benjamin Schilleman (Layton, Utah) was the Aggies' second finisher, as he tied for 41st with an eight-over 224 (74-71-79). Senior Thad Truman (Blackfoot, Idaho) tied for 50th with a nine-over 225 (76-77-72), and junior Chance Godderidge (Smithfield, Utah) tied for 70th with a 14-over 230 (73-78-79).

Junior Tyson McFarland (Rexburg, Idaho) was Utah State's fifth golfer and finished tied for 84th at 18-over 234 (78-78-77), while freshmen Austin French (Idaho Falls, Idaho) competed as an individual and finished in 87th place with a 19-over 235 (83-74-78).

Utah State concluded its fall schedule with the Bill Cullum Invitational.

CROSS COUNTRY: Utah State's men's cross country team was picked to repeat as champions while the women's team was picked second in the Western Athletic Conference men's and women's cross country pre-championship coaches' polls. The polls were voted on by the nine head coaches in the league and announced by the conference office prior to Saturday's WAC Championships at Reno, Nev.

Utah State was selected as the favorite to win the men's championship, while New Mexico State was picked to win the women's title.

Utah State, winner of the past four WAC men's championships, was picked to win the men's title again as the Aggies received six first-place votes and 36 points. Boise State captured second place with 27 points with one first-place vote. Fresno State claimed the third spot with 26 points. With 18 points, Idaho was voted fourth, while New Mexico State (17) and San Jose State (14) followed closely behind in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Louisiana Tech received nine points to finish seventh.

On the women's side, New Mexico State was selected first with seven first-place votes and 58 overall points. Utah State, the defending champion and winners of two of the last three WAC titles, followed closely in second with two first-place votes for 55 points. With 46 points, Idaho was picked to finish third. Nevada received 45 points to capture the fourth spot, while Fresno State was ranked fifth with 37 points. Hawai'i was selected sixth with 31 points, followed by Boise State in seventh with 26 points. San Jose State (18) and Louisiana Tech (8) were picked to finish eighth and ninth, respectively.

The 2009 WAC Cross Country championships will take place at Washoe County's Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno, Nev., on Saturday.