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After steady performances all season long and winning an individual national championship, BYU junior Miles Batty has been named the National Men's Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
"I never really would have thought I would win something like this," Batty said. "Knowing I was voted this honor gives me a lot of confidence and added pressure to accomplish all my goals going forward."
At the NCAA Indoor National Championships, Batty ran a controlled race and managed to outsprint the field on the last lap to win a national title in the mile with a time of 3:59.49. The day before he won his individual title, the All-American helped BYU's distance medley relay team to a national championship. He ran the mile leg of the race in a split of 3:56.14. The team's time of 9:29.28 is the seventh-best in college history, and came just hours after Batty ran his qualifying individual race.
"I think it shows how much people respected his efforts at nationals," distance coach Ed Eyestone said. "It tells you all the coaches voting were paying attention and it's a special honor. It's like winning the Heisman of track."
Batty, a Sandy native, helped the Cougars this season to a ninth-consecutive men's indoor Mountain West Conference title and a school-best third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Batty was also named Athlete of the Week by USA Track and Field and Mountain West Conference Men's Indoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year.