Photo by Britney Howard / UK Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – UK's Kendra Harrison (pictured) solidified her place on the latest addition of the Bowerman Trophy Watch List, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced on Thursday, May 7. The Bowerman Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding individual athlete in collegiate track and field. Harrison is the NCAA leader in the 100-meter hurdles and the 400m hurdles with a week to go until the Southeastern Conference Championships. She won the 2015 NCAA and Southeastern Conference 60-meter hurdles Championships. Harrison took the NCAA lead in the women’s 100m hurdles with a winning time of 12.62 (+0.9) at Florida’s Tom Jones Memorial Invitational two weeks ago.
Harrison became tied for the sixth-fastest collegian ever with a time that tied for the ninth-fastest in NCAA history.
The performance broke Harrison’s own Kentucky school record.
Harrison is now the NCAA leader in the 100m and 400m hurdles, as she ran 54.94 on the same track at the Florida Relays earlier this month.
She is the reigning SEC Gold Medalist in the SEC 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles as well as the NCAA 400m Hurdles Silver Medalist.
With Thursday’s latest list having included Harrison, Kentucky moved into a three-way tie with Oklahoma and Florida for ninth on the list of schools’ watch list appearances.
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA and considered the most prestigious individual award in collegiate track and field.
Past winners include Olympic gold medalist, World Champion and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), 10,000-meter Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp (2009), 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters Jenny Simpson (2009), 2013 100-meter hurdles World Champion Brianna Rollins (2013) and 2012 Olympic high jump bronze medalist Derek Drouin (2013).
In total, the winners from the award’s first four years have won three Olympic Medals, two World Championships and six World Championships medals. When considering finalists for the award, 13 individuals have earned a combined seven Olympic medals, four World Championships and 17 World Championships medals.
Former Oregon head coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, who the award is named for, served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. 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 are among his many lasting legacies.
