Florida's Eddie Lovett Added to Men's Post-Indoor Bowerman Watch List
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 | Track and Field
Florida's Eddie Lovett (West Palm Beach, Fla.) has been added to the Men's Post-Indoor Bowerman Trophy Watch List, released Wednesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The newest edition of the Watch List includes nine NCAA title-holders from last week's NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, and three first-time honorees to the list, including Lovett. The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.
Lovett joins teammate and fellow NCAA Champion Marquis Dendy (Middletown, Del.) on this edition of the Watch List.
Lovett etched his name in the record books on the second day of the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, setting a new meet record in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a new personal best and school record of 7.50. Lovett's time breaks Olympic gold medalist Aries Merritt's previous NCAA meet record of 7.51.
Lovett now owns fourth-fastest time in collegiate history and is the third-fastest performer in the history of the NCAA. The three-time SEC Champion brought home Florida's first 60-meter hurdle national title in program history. It is the second hurdle crown in Florida school history, as Earl Diamond won the 55-meter hurdles at the 1989 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Dendy captured his first individual NCAA crown, leaping to a new personal best and school record of 8.28m/27-2 to take home the title. The two-time SEC Champion indoors in the event, Dendy is now the sixth-best performer in the history of the NCAA and leads the NCAA and the U.S. in the event this year. His mark is second in the world in 2013.
Dendy jumped to a fourth-place result in the men's triple jump, registering a 16.20m/53-1.75 mark after his record-breaking day Friday. Dendy finished with 15 points scored over the course of the two-day meet. The Florida sophomore is a two-time SEC Champion in the men's long jump and is the only collegiate jumper to surpass 27 feet this season.
Lovett's inclusion on the Watch List makes him the seventh Gator men's student-athlete to make an appearance – joining a storied group that includes Olympians Jeff Demps, Will Claye, Tony McQuay and Christian Taylor. No other program has had more than four student-athletes named to the men's Watch List, an honor shared by Arkansas and Texas A&M. This also marks the 51st individual appearance by a Florida Gator on the Watch List, the most of any school.
Claye (2011), Demps (2010) and Taylor (2010) were semifinalists for the award and McQuay (2012) and Taylor (2011) were finalists. The Gators continue to lead the nation in multiple Bowerman semifinalist appearances with five. The SEC leads the all-time semifinalist appearances list with nine.
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THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST, POST-INDOOR 2013
| NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL | EVENTS | HOMETOWN |
| Marquis Dendy | SO | Florida | Jumps | Middletown, Del. |
| Derek Drouin | RS SR | Indiana | Jumps/Cmb. Events | Corunna, Ontario |
| Tim Glover | SR | Illinois State | Javelin | Normal, Ill. |
| Andrew Irwin | SO | Arkansas | Pole Vault | Mount Ida, Ark. |
| Kennedy Kithuka | JR | Texas Tech | Distance | Thika, Kenya |
| Erik Kynard | SR | Kansas State | High Jump | Toledo, Ohio |
| Lawi Lalang | JR | Arizona | Distance | Eldoret, Kenya |
| Kevin Lazas | JR | Arkansas | Combined Events | Brentwood, Tenn. |
| Eddie Lovett | JR | Florida | Hurdles | West Palm Beach, Fla. |
| Ameer Webb | SR | Texas A&M | Sprints | Tustin, Calif. |
ALSO RECEIVING MENTION
| NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL | EVENTS | HOMETOWN |
| Harry Adams | SR | Auburn | Sprints | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Mike Berry | JR | Oregon | Sprints | Seattle, Wash. |
| D'Angelo Cherry | SR | Mississippi State | Sprints | Jonesboro, Ga. |
| Jordan Clarke | RS SR | Arizona State | Throws | Anchorage, Ala. |
| Alexander Ziegler | SR | Virginia Tech | Throws | Dischingen, Germany |
