USU campus briefs

CROSS COUNTRY: The Aggies will compete in the 2009 Western Athletics Conference championships Saturday. Both Aggie teams will defend their 2008 titles they earned after sweeping the competition in Las Cruces, N.M. last year.

USU's men's team was picked to repeat the title in the coaches' polls, while the women were voted to finish second behind New Mexico State as announced by the WAC.

"The coaches poll shows that other schools have respect for our program and what we have accomplished in the past," veteran USU head coach Gregg Gensel said.

Since joining the WAC in 2005 the men have dominated the competition, winning four consecutive titles. The women took first in 2005 and 2008.

Sophomore Brain McKenna has been the Aggie men's top finisher in each of their races thus far this season. He has led the team to two first-place finishes, including the season opener, the Utah State Open, and the Montana State Invitational.

Leading the Aggie women is sophomore Jessie Chugg who has been the Aggies first or second finisher in all of the races thus far this season.

The WAC Championships will be hosed by Nevada in Reno, Nev. The men's 8K race will begin at 11 a.m. and the women will follow in a 5k at 11:45 a.m.

The races will be held at the Rancho San Rafael Park.

FOOTBALL: Peter Caldwell was named a candidate for the 2009 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter, announced today by the Augusta Sports Council.

Caldwell, a junior from Kaysville, Utah (Davis HS), is the lone punter from the Western Athletic Conference and the only player from a Utah school on the 42-player list. Caldwell also is one of 14 juniors on the list as well as one of 13 from non-Bowl Championship Series (BCS) teams.

Caldwell currently leads the WAC and ranks 24th in the NCAA in punting with a 42.9 yards per punt average. He has 13 punts of 50 or more yards including a season and career-long of 61 yards. Caldwell has had at least to 50+ yard punts in the last five games, highlighted by three at BYU on Oct. 2. He also has 22 punts inside the 20-yard line, with at least four in the last three games, including a season and career-best five in the Nevada game on Oct. 17.

The 42-player list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists that will be named on Nov. 13.