The Greater August Sports Council announced Tuesday that Arizona sophomore Keenyn Crier was named to the watch list of the Ray Guy Award, an award given annually to the nation’s best punter.

“”When I saw (the release) and the really cool picture, I got really excited about it,”” Crier said. “”It is a pretty big honor because that award is for the best punter in the nation, so for me to be up for it is a pretty big deal.””

Crier, whose 69-yard punt is the longest effort in the Pacific 10 Conference this season, is coming off a spectacular freshman season in 2007 in which his 43.7-yard punt average was the best in the conference. Last season Crier was given first-team All-Pac-10 honors after 22 of his 59 punts were downed inside the opposition’s 20 yard line.

The most impressive play in Crier’s season as a freshman came against USC with an 83-yard punt, which was good enough for second best in Arizona school history despite kicking it rugby-style. The play earned Crier Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Through three games this season, Crier has had five punts that have gone an average 39.4 yards. Even though Crier has one punt that went over 50 yards, his average is held down by a career-low two-yard punt on his first attempt of the year in Arizona’s 70-0 season-opening win over Idaho.

Arizona head coach Mike Stoops was certainly pleased with his young punter last year as a freshman, and he’s hoping Crier can match that success this season.

“”Any time you can get a player on (a watch list) it means they are pretty good at what they do,”” Stoops said.