Florida's Christian Taylor Named Finalist for the Bowerman
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 | Track and Field
University of Florida junior Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) has been named a finalist for The Bowerman, collegiate track and field's biggest award. He was honored as one of three male finalists for the award, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Finalists were chosen by the ten-person Bowerman Advisory Board based on performances recorded during the indoor and outdoor 2011 track & field seasons. Only performances through the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are used in consideration.
Taylor was the winner of the NCAA's outdoor triple jump title with an all-time, all-conditions collegiate best mark of 58-4? (17.80m). The wind-aided title clincher came on the final attempt of a back-and-forth battle with teammate Will Claye. In the same competition, Taylor marked a wind-legal jump of 57-1 (17.40m) in the fourth round to claim the season's collegiate best mark, current American-leading mark, and performance that places the Gator in the world's top five so far in 2011.
Taylor also finished second at the NCAA Championships indoors to Claye in the triple jump and qualified for both NCAA meets in the long jump. With Florida's 4?100- and 4?400-meter relay teams, Taylor qualified for the national finals in both events outdoors. At the Penn Relays, Florida's 4?100 squad finished second in the Championship of America race.
In the collegiate post-season (and not considered in the award's determination), Taylor won his first USATF triple jump title with a wind-aided mark of 57-4? (17.49m). Once again, Taylor and Florida teammate Claye went 1-2 in the competition and will be on the American team for the world championships in Dageu, South Korea. Taylor also notched his best performance of 2011 in the long jump at the USATF meet where he finished fourth.
Taylor will represent Florida and the SEC as the first Bowerman finalist for both groups. Taylor was a semifinalist for the award in 2010.
The award, in its third year of existence, will be presented in a ceremony at the USTFCCCA Convention on December 14 at the JW Marriott Hill Country, San Antonio, Texas. John Anderson, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and co-host of ABC's Wipeout, will host the evening's festivities for the second-straight year.
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the top male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. Oregon's Ashton Eaton and Virginia Tech's Queen Harrison are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.
Bowerman 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.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the magnificent trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. Keep up with the Bowerman finalists on the USTFCCCA's weekly results page and by following the organization's Twitter feed and Facebook page.
THE BOWERMAN FINALISTS, 2011 MEN
| NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL | EVENTS | HOMETOWN |
| Jeshua Anderson | SR | Washington State | Hurdles | Woodland Hills, Calif. |
| Ngoni Makusha | JR | Florida State | Jumps/Sprints | Zimbabwe |
| Christian Taylor | JR | Florida | Jumps | Fayetteville, Ga. |
