Five Gators In Consideration For The Bowerman
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | Track and Field
Sophomore Florida sprinter Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.) has been named to the watch list for The Bowerman, track and field's highest honor, to give the Gators five current athletes in contention for the award, according to the latest release Wednesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Demps and sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) are on the watch list for the men's award, while senior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) is on the watch list for the women's award. Senior distance runner Charlotte Browning (Pullborough, England) and senior jumper Shara Proctor (The Valley, Anguilla) also are receiving consideration for the women's award.
The Bowerman Advisory Board appointed four of its members to comprise The Bowerman Men's Watch Committee and another four of its members to comprise The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee. The committee will release its next update on Wednesday, May 5. The three men and three women finalists will be named on July 13. Award winners will be announced at the USTFCCCA Annual Convention, held December 13-16 in San Antonio, Texas.
Demps, the 2010 NCAA indoor 60m champion and the Florida school-record holder in that event at 6.56, holds the nation's fastest time in the 100-meter dash at 10.11, recorded this weekend at the 66th Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville. Demps also was a part of the NCAA-leading 4x100-meter relay team that finished in a time of 38.93, which ranks second in the world.
Taylor, the two-time defending NCAA indoor triple jump champion and the two-time USTFCCCA Indoor Male Field Athlete of the Year recipient, hasn't yet competed in the jumps this outdoor season, but won the men's 400-meter dash in a time of 45.55 at the Pepsi Florida Relays this past weekend. Taylor also was part of the world-leading and school-record-setting 4x400-meter relay that finished in a time of 3:00.31 this past weekend.
Kevkhishvili, a four-time NCAA Champion and seven-time All-American who won the NCAA Women's Indoor Shot Put this season, won the Pepsi Florida Relays women's shot put this past Saturday with a toss of 17.94m/58-10.25, which is the best throw in the NCAA this season. Kevkhishvili, who was named the SEC Female Field Athlete of the Week for her efforts this past Saturday, has finished as the top collegian in the Florida Relays women's shot put for four consecutive years.
Browning, the 2010 NCAA indoor mile champion and the co-recipient of the Cliff Harper Trophy at the SEC Indoor Championships, captured the women's 800-meter run at the Pepsi Florida Relays in a time of 2:06.42.
Proctor, the 2010 SEC indoor long jump and triple jump champion and an All-American in each of those events indoors this season, ranks second in the NCAA in the women's long jump after capturing the event at the Pepsi Florida Relays this past weekend with a leap of 6.63m/21-9 (+1.5).
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter page @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST, 2010 MEN (APRIL 7)
Jeshua Anderson, Washington State
Ronnie Ash, Oklahoma
Jeff Demps, Florida
Ashton Eaton, Oregon
German Fernandez, Oklahoma
Torrin Lawrence, Georgia
David McNeill, Northern Arizona
Tavaris Tate, Mississippi State
Christian Taylor, Florida
Ryan Whiting, Arizona State
MEN ALSO RECEIVING MENTION
Aaron Braun, Adams State
Sam Chelanga, Liberty
Charles Clark, Florida State
Will Claye, Oklahoma
Jason Colwick, Rice
Lee Emanuel, New Mexico
Ricky Flynn, Lynchburg
Ryan Foster, Penn State
Ramon Gittens, St. Augustine's
Walter Henning, LSU
Tabarie Henry, Texas A&M
Trindon Holliday, LSU
Bryce Lamb, Texas Tech
Ngonidzashe Makusha, Florida State
Curtis Mitchell, Texas A&M
Kurt Roberts, Ashland
Scott Roth, Washington
Josh Scott, St. Augustine's
Ramon Sparks, Abeline Christian
Delannie Spriggs, Salisbury
Andrew Wheating, Oregon
THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST, 2010 WOMEN (APRIL 7)
Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech
Amber Kaufman, Hawaii
Mariam Kevkhishvili, Florida
Lisa Koll, Iowa State
Gabby Mayo, Texas A&M
Francena McCorory, Hampton
Blessing Okabare, UTEP
Brianne Theisen, Oregon
Kim Williams, Florida State
Phoebe Wright, Tennessee
WOMEN ALSO RECEIVING MENTION
Joanna Atkins, Auburn
Jessica Beard, Texas A&M
Angela Bizzarri, Illinois
Marie Borner, Bethel (Minn.)
Charlotte Browning, Florida
Kristi Caslin, Virginia Tech
Lacey Cramer, BYU
Shaniqua Ferguson, Auburn
Semoy Hackett, Lincoln (Mo.)
Jordan Hasay, Oregon
Kylie Hutson, Indiana State
Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M
Brenda Martinez, UC-Riverside
Liz Patterson, Arizona
Barbara Pierre, St. Augustine's
Jessica Pixler, Seattle Pacific
Shara Proctor, Florida
Sheila Reid, Villanova
Alicia Rue, Minnesota
April Sinkler, Clemson
END OF REPORT
