Six of the nations' top track and field athletes are in Orlando, Florida for the 2012 Bowerman Awards. The awards represent excellence in the sport and are considered the Heisman Trophy of track and field. The trophy has been presented every year since 2009 by the USTFCCCA and is named after the legendary Oregon coach Bill Bowerman. The first time the award was given out in 2009 is the last time it was in Orlando. Oviedo native and University of Colorado star Jenny Barringer-Simpson won the award that year, along side Oregon's Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp. We have since seen what those two fabulous runners have gone unto accomplish. The past two years the awards have been held in San Antonio, Texas. 2010 winners were Ashton Eaton of Oregon and Queen Harrison of Virginia Tech. Florida State's Ngoni Makusha took home the award in 2011 along side Texas A&M's Jessica Beard.
The trio of guys nominees for 2012 consists of University of Florida's Tony McQuay, Cam Levins, of Southern Utah, and Andrew Riley of Illinois. McQuay who is the lone Florida athlete, took individual gold in the 400 meters outdoor as well as anchoring the national championship 4x400 meter team which won an award earlier in the week for best relay. He is also the first athlete to sweep both the indoor and outdoor championships in the quarter mile. Can athletes with Florida ties make it three years out of four?
On the girls side the nominees are Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU, Brigetta Barrett of Arizona, and Brianne Theissen of Oregon.
More Coverage
University of Florida Press Release
Florida’s Tony McQuay Caps Stellar 2012 Season with Bowerman Ceremony
ORLANDO, Fla. – Olympic silver medalist and three-time NCAA Champion Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) is one of three male finalists for The Bowerman, collegiate track and field’s biggest award. The Bowerman will be awarded on Wednesday, December 19 at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Convention at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.
The Bowerman red carpet will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and will air live on Flotrack. The Bowerman Award ceremony will air live on Flotrack at 7 p.m. ET. The live video links for both the red carpet and the ceremony can be found here and on Flotrack.org.
Finalists were chosen by the ten-person Bowerman Advisory Board based on performances recorded during the indoor and outdoor 2012 track & field seasons. Only performances through the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are used in consideration.
“This is an incredible honor for Tony,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said when McQuay was named a finalist back in June. “The Bowerman is a prestigious award and I think this is a direct reflection of the great season Tony had this year.”
McQuay helped lead the Gators to their first NCAA Outdoor team title with a national crown in the 400 meters and as anchor of the 4x400 relay that took victory. In the 400, McQuay claimed top honors with the season’s collegiate best time of 44.58 seconds, just ahead of Oregon’s Mike Berry.
In the 4x400, McQuay literally clinched the team title for the Gators. Taking the baton in second place, Florida, down two points heading into the meet’s final event, needed to win the relay to secure at least a share of the team crown. McQuay, with a 44.01 split, fired past Southern California’s Bryshon Nellum to take the tape and give the Gators their only 4x400-meter relay national title in program history.
Because LSU finished third in the relay, the Gators managed a four-point swing, enough to place Florida on top of the point standings and hand the Orange and Blue their first NCAA Outdoor Championship.
He was the winner of the 400 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championships, as part of an outdoor undefeated season in the event, in 45.48 and also led Florida to the SEC crown in the 4x400. The 4x400 squad also won the Drake Relays title.
McQuay is the first since 2008 to sweep NCAA indoor and outdoor 400-meter crowns. He won the national indoor title in the season’s best by a collegian, 45.77. His performance aided the Gators in capturing their third consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship.
McQuay placed second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the men’s 400 meters and earned a silver medal with the U.S. men’s 4x400-meter relay at the London Olympics.
McQuay will represent Florida and the SEC as the second Bowerman male finalist for both groups. Olympic gold medalist Christian Taylor was a finalist for the award in 2011, and Taylor will join McQuay at the ceremony along with two-time Olympic medalist and 2011 Bowerman semifinalist Will Claye.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/
2012 The Bowerman Male Finalists
|
Cam Levins |
Southern Utah |
|
TONY MCQUAY |
FLORIDA |
|
Andrew Riley |
Illinois |
2012 The Bowerman Female Finalists
|
Brigetta Barrett |
Arizona |
|
Kimberlyn Duncan |
LSU |
|
Brianne Theisen |
Oregon |