Marquis Dendy & Dedric Dukes Headline The Bowerman Trophy Preseason Watch List
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 | Track and Field
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Florida 2014 track and field outdoor national champions Marquis Dendy and Dedric Dukes are two of 10 men's track and field student-athletes across the country named to The Bowerman Trophy Preseason Watch List, announced Wednesday afternoon by the USTFCCCA in advance of the 2015 indoor track and field season.
Both Dendy and Dukes were Semifinalists for The Bowerman Trophy last season after putting together decorated 2013-14 resumes, which included a combined six All-America performances and four outdoor national titles, Dendy in both the long jump and triple jump, and Dukes in the 200m and as the anchor on UF's national champion 4x1 relay last June in Eugene.
Dendy was the first collegian to sweep both jumps at NCAAs since 2002, while Dukes was the lone collegian last season to break 20 seconds in the 200m. His 19.97 mark from Florida Relays was second in the world at the time. Dukes was the USTFCCCA Outdoor South Region Athlete of the Year and was the anchor on UF's school-record 4x1 relay (38.29) that was an American Collegiate Record at Texas Relays last March.
This year's women's preseason candidates for The Bowerman Award will be announced Thursday afternoon.
Florida, the nation's No. 1 program on both the men's and women's sides in the Preseason National Team Computer Rankings, kicks off the 2015 indoor season Friday at the UAB Invitational when a contingent of 12 Gators takes to the track at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
THE BOWERMAN TROPHY MEN'S PRESEASON WATCH LIST | Complete Release
| NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL | EVENTS | HOMETOWN |
| SO | Oregon | Hurdles | Phoenix, Ariz. | |
| JR | Akron | Pole Vault | Kingwood, Texas | |
| SO | Baylor | Sprints | St. Petersburg, Fla. | |
| SO | Oregon | Distance | Newark, N.J. | |
| SR | Texas | Throws | Gresham, Ore. | |
| SR | Florida | Jumps | Middletown, Del. | |
| SR | Florida | Sprints | Miami, Fla. | |
| SR | Texas A&M | Sprints | Arima, Trinidad & Tobago | |
| JR | Mississippi State | Distance | Windsor, Ontario | |
| SR | UTEP | Distance | Nairobi, Kenya | |
| Also Receiving Votes: Johannes Hock, Texas; Andrew Irwin, Arkansas; Hayden Reed, Alabama; Michael Stigler, Kansas | ||||
| Women's Preseason Watch List: Thursday, Jan. 8 FOLLOW THE GATORS | ||||
