BOULDER—University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer’s 2009 historic track and field season is still getting recognition as she has been named a finalist for the U.S.A. Track and Field Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year Award presented by Nike.
The Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year Award was established in 1981 as a tribute to the man whose accomplishments are forever enshrined in sports history. It is USA Track & Field’s highest accolade, and is presented annually to the individuals selected through a nominating and voting procedure as the outstanding American performers of the year in Athletics.
The USATF Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year goes to the sport’s top athletes of the year and is selected by a vote of the media; this year, an online fan balloting will account for 10 percent of the votes. Fan voting is from now until Tuesday, October 13, at 3 p.m. (http://www.usatf.org/promotions/JesseOwensAwardVote/index.asp).
Barringer is the only collegiate athlete who was nominated for the award this year. The other four females include Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Brittany Reese and Sanya Richards. Barringer is also the only distance runner in the final five; three are sprinters and one is a jumper.
This year’s award will be presented December 5, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2009 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, December 2-6.
Barringer, who was named the Honda Sports Award winner for track and field and was a finalist for the Honda Broderick-Cup in June, set six NCAA records in 2009 as well as seven CU records. She raced to a fifth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in August and slashed 10 seconds off her personal and American record with a time of 9:12.50, making her the eighth fastest woman in the event.
The native of Oviedo, Fla., won a pair of Big 12 titles in 2009 (indoor mile and steeplechase) and a pair of NCAA Championships in the indoor 3k and the steeplechase. Barringer became the first Buff, male or female, to win three NCAA individual titles in the same even (three in the steeplechase) and the first female to win four NCAA crowns. Her mile time of 4:25.91 was the fastest run in the world during the 2009 season.
Barringer’s NCAA Records:
Mile: 4:25.91
Indoor 3k: 8:42.03
Indoor 5k: 15:01.70
1500-meters: 3:59.90
Outdoor 5k: 15:07.64
Steeplechase: 9:25.54
Barringer’s CU records:
Mile: 4:25.91
Indoor 3k: 8:42.03
Indoor 5k: 15:01.70
Outdoor 800: 2:02.56
Outdoor 5k: 15:05.25
Steeplechase: 9:12.50
