Air Force cornerback Anthony Wright, a junior from Cleveland, is one of four Mountain West Conference football players on the national watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s best defensive player since 1993.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte (N.C.) Touchdown Club.
MWC players on the watch list include New Mexico linebacker Carmen Messina and Texas Christian linebacker Tank Carder and safety Tejay Johnson.
Nationally, there are 74 candidates for the award this year. The Atlantic Coast Conference leads with 13 candidates, followed by the Southeastern Conference (12) and the Big 12 (10).
No player from the MWC has won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
Arp’s 67 leads qualifier.
Former Colorado State golfer Riley Arp was in first place Monday after the first round of a U.S. Amateur Public Links qualifier at Highlands Meadows Golf Course in Windsor.
Arp shot a 4-under-par 67, good for a one-stroke lead entering today’s final round.
Colorado State’s Zahkai Brown, Stu Allen of Lakewood, Jordan Burgess of Windsor and Nicholas Tarasiewicz of Colorado Springs were tied for second at 68.
DU’s Kim shines.
University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim shot a 5-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Women’s Public Links.
Kim shot 33 on the front nine and back nine at the Warren Golf Course at the University of Notre Dame. She finished with six birdies and one bogey.
Kim, 18, was the runner-up at the tournament last year and in 2006.
Lizette Salas and Stephanie Kono shot 67s. Salas, a senior at Southern California, led last year’s tournament after one round. Kono plays for UCLA. Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 68.
The field of 156 players will be cut to 64 after today’s second round of stroke play. The final 64 will begin match play Wednesday.
