Dec. 17, 2009
Orlando, Florida - The Bowerman, an award bestowed to the nation's top collegiate men's and women's track and field athlete, was presented to Galen Rupp (Portland, Ore.) of Oregon and Jenny Barringer (Oviedo, Fla.) of Colorado on Wednesday night at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla. The ceremony, attended by over 1,200 people, took place in conjunction with the annual convention of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Porscha Lucas, one of three female finalists for the honor, enters the 2010 season with a goal of defending her NCAA 200 title and adding a win in the NCAA 100 as well. She also has plans on becoming a finalist for The Bowerman again after her senior campaign with Texas A&M.
A feature on Lucas being a finalist for the inaugural Bowerman presentation appeared in The Eagle and can be read here: The Bowerman ceremony
Not only did Rupp pull off an individual double-double at the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships in 2009, he posted a new indoor American and collegiate records at 5000 meters in running 13:18.12 at the Tyson Invitational in February. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Rupp helped Oregon to a national team title, accounting for 22½ team points, garnering national titles at 3000 meters and 5000 meters and as anchor leg of the Ducks' distance medley relay. Rupp overcame near-disaster in the 10,000 meters at the outdoor national championships as he was stepped on early in the race and had to stop to put his shoe back on. In spite of the setback, Rupp came back to win the event by three seconds.
"This is a really fun thing to be a part of at the end of the season," Rupp said. "You could have made a case for anyone to win the award. I think it's a really cool concept and I think recognitions like this are exactly what our sport needs to raise the profile and to get it back on the national stage in a positive way."
Barringer had an amazing 2009, setting two indoor and three outdoor collegiate records on the track while adding two NCAA and two Big 12 crowns. Indoors, Barringer set all-time collegiate bests in three events over the span of five weeks. On February 14, it was a 15:01.70 clocking at Washington's Husky Classic over 5000 meters that was the fastest time ever run by a collegian, all-conditions, indoors or outdoors. Two weeks later at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, Barringer blazed a 4:25.91 clocking in the mile to earn the conference title in the event. In another two weeks, she returned to College Station to win the NCAA 3000 meters in a collegiate record time of 8:42.03. Outdoors, Barringer broke her own collegiate 3000-meter steeplechase record twice and defended her NCAA title in the event while also recording an outdoor 5000-meter collegiate record.
"It's just so cool to wrap up my collegiate career in this way," Barringer said. "This has to be the most prestigious award in the NCAA because the athletes in track & field are world class. We were among Olympic athletes tonight. And, it's just so cool to be a part of that and part of that crowd. To think that the coaches took the time to put us center stage is very special."
The Bowerman is named in honor of track and field pioneer Bill Bowerman, who served the sport of track and field in numerous ways, including his leadership in the USTFCCCA's predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole.