The second annual Bowerman Award (Male and Female College Track & Field Athlete of the Year) was presented on Wednesday evening at the U.S. Track/Cross Country Association Convention. It was another amazing and well produced evening that was broadcast live on Flotrack.org. All of the finalists were deserving, however it was Queen Harrison (Virginia Tech) and Ashton Eaton (Oregon) who prevailed. Both were multiple time NCAA Champions. Harrison represented the US at the Beijing Olympics and Eaton is the current world record holder indoors in the heptathlon.
I have to pay homage to one of the other female finalists, Lisa Koll. No, not because is a distance runner!!! We grew up only 20 miles apart and I was the coach that came in second in the recruiting battle. (ISU had vet school and UNI does not. You'd think every school in Iowa would have a vet school with all of the agricultural enterprises here). The inaugural winner of this award, Jenny Barringer, was born and lived in my hometown for the first seven years of her life. She still has relatives in town. There is obviously some in the water that didn't quite drink enough of. We had a nice 15 minute conversation. Just listening to those two wonderful people chat and enjoy the unique bond that we all have was a lot of fun.
Another fellow Iowan (by birth anyway) was our MC. ESPN anchor (and former Mizzou high jumper), John Anderson, was amazing. His knowledge of track and field, the athletes, and his quick wit and humor made for an evening that will be hard to replace. Above that he was so gracious and spend two evenings in the foyer chatting with anyone who would say hello. He still has relatives in Iowa and even though he moved to Green Bay during his youth he also returns to the state to visit relatives. And like most people when he drives here he is looking for a barn or a silo to make the next turn rather than a street name.
Enjoy the pics. Sorry the picture of John and me is a little blurry. Blame Wichita St coach, Steve Rainbolt for that, ha ha. (Sorry to throw you under the bus, Bolt). And of course, the three little Iowans that could. There might be a debate about who the most talented runner in that picture is, but the debate for least talented won't last beyond a blink of the eye :)
