Mariam Kevkhishvili Named to The Bowerman Preseason Watch List
Thursday, January 14, 2010 | Track and Field
Senior Florida thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) has been named to the preseason watch list for The Bowerman, an award bestowed on the nation's top collegiate men's and women's track and field athlete as presented by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the New Orleans-based organization announced Thursday.
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.
Kevkhishvili is a three-time NCAA Champion and six-time All-American in the women's shot put. A 2004 and 2008 Olympian for her home country of Georgia, Kevkhishvili has captured back-to-back NCAA indoor championship shot put crowns, making her just the fourth woman in NCAA history to accomplish that feat.
Kevkhishvili went undefeated against collegiate competition during the 2009 campaign, including winning both the indoor and outdoor Southeastern Conference titles and the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championship titles. The 2009 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year, Kevkhishvili is Florida's school record-holder in the indoor shot put (58-10.25) and ranks third all-time outdoors (59-2.75).
The Bowerman Advisory Board appointed four of its members to comprise The Bowerman Men's Watch Committee and another four of its members to make up The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee. The committee will release its next list, using only marks from the 2010 season, on Tuesday, February 9, with updates occurring during the first Tuesday of each month leading to the final watch lists on Tuesday, June 7, the week of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Watch lists will also be released on March 16 to coincide with the conclusion of the indoor season and May 18 to mark the ending of the outdoor conference season. The three men and three women finalists will be named on June 15.
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THE BOWERMAN – Women's Preseason Watch List
Joanna Atkins (Auburn)
Jessica Beard (Texas A&M)
Angela Bizzarri (Illinois)
Lacey Cramer (BYU)
Semoy Hackett (Lincoln [Mo.])
Kylie Hutson (Indiana State)
Mariam Kevkhishvili (Florida)
Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M)
Brianne Theisen (Oregon)
Kim Williams (Florida State)
Official Watch List Release Dates for The Bowerman 2010
- Wednesday, January 13 (preseason)
- Tuesday, February 9
- Tuesday, March 2
- Tuesday, March 16
- Tuesday, April 6
- Tuesday, May 4
- Tuesday, May 18
- Tuesday, June 7 (final Watch Lists)
- Finalists will be named on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
About the USTFCCCA (www.ustfccca.org)
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is the non-profit professional organization that represents men's and women's cross country and track and field coaches in the United States. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members, including 93 percent of NCAA track and field programs. USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track and field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track and field.
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