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BREAKING: Thomas Boyden to Join BYU as Grad Transfer, Holds 7:41 (3k) & 13:21 (5k) Marks
Written by Donny Speas, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
The Stride Report has learned that Stanford ace, Thomas Boyden, has officially committed to BYU as a graduate transfer. Back in January, The Stride Report first reported that Boyden had entered the transfer portal.
Per TFRRS, the soon-to-be-former Stanford runner has at least one season of cross country eligibility and one season of indoor track eligibility remaining. If he competes this spring (and he is expected to), then Boyden will not have any outdoor track eligibility remaining.
Here is how we described Boyden upon his initial entrance into the transfer portal...
"Once an elite recruit out of the prep ranks, Boyden has flashed multiple moments of brilliance throughout his NCAA career. This past fall was arguably the best cross country season of his career after placing 22nd at Pre-Nationals and then 9th at the ACC XC Championships. However, he would go on to struggle over the 10,000-meter distance in the postseason."
"On the track, Boyden has found a bit more success, specifically over the 5000-meter distance. In the spring of 2022, the soon-to-be-former Stanford star ran under the 13:50 (5k) barrier on four different occasions. He also finished 13th place in both the 5k and the 10k at the West Regional Championships that year"
Since that report, the Utah native has put together a phenomenal indoor track season, running personal bests of 7:41 (3k) and 13:21 (5k). In addition to his blazing new PRs, he also picked up a 4th place finish over 3000 meters at the ACC Indoor Championships.
On paper, Boyden's upcoming move to BYU makes perfect sense. The current Cardinal veteran previously attended Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. During his time as a prep athlete, Boyden broke state records over 1600 meters and 3200 meters which had previously been held by BYU veteran, Casey Clinger.
In addition to Boyden being a Utah native, his mother also competed for the Cougars in college.
Next year's BYU cross country roster is beginning to look incredibly lethal, and maybe just as dangerous as they were this past fall. While losing Casey Clinger will be a massive hit from a scoring perspective, he is expected to be the lone departure from last year's national title-winning team. With still-elite depth, further development and the addition of Boyden to their program, the men of Provo could (and maybe should) be viewed as national title favorites come the fall months.
BYU also has a history of peaking for the postseason, something that could greatly benefit Boyden given his prior struggles on championship stages. And with a clear leap in his fitness this past winter, one has to believe that the Cougars have a strong All-American candidate entering their roster in the latter-half of 2025.
