Kirani James Named to The Bowerman Watch List
6/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
June 22, 2010
NEW ORLEANS - On Tuesday, The Bowerman Men's Watch Committee announced in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) the ten male student-athletes that will be considered for The Bowerman in 2010. Alabama freshman Kirani James was one of the 10 athletes named to the list.
The group of ten will be narrowed to three men by the ten-member Bowerman Advisory Board in the coming weeks.
The Board, chaired by Herman Frazier, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Administration at Temple University, will release their finalist selections on the week of July 12. The board is vice chaired by Alfreeda Goff, Horizon League Senior Associate Commissioner.
Once the finalists are set, The Bowerman Voters, a group of around 100, consisting of national and regional media personnel, track & field statisticians, NCAA collegiate administrators, and Presidents of affiliated organizations will make their selections. Previous winners Galen Rupp and Jenny Barringer will also receive one vote. Once tabulations are calculated, award winners will be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention, held Dec. 13-16 in San Antonio.
James burst onto the scene during the indoor season. At the NCAA Indoor Championships the rookie finished second overall in the 400 meters with a time of 45.63, the highest finish by an Alabama runner. James was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman Runner of the Year after finishing second in the 400 at the SEC Championships and running 45.24 to shatter his own Alabama school record.
During the outdoor campaign James claimed the NCAA 400-meter outdoor national title by clocking a 45.05 at just 17 years old. He became the first Alabama 400 meter outdoor runner to earn All-American honors in the event since 1984 and the first national champion in any event since 2002.
The Gouyave, Grenada, native claimed the SEC 400-meter title by clocking a personal best 45.01 in Knoxville, Tenn. To earn the title James defeated the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked runners in the world in the event en route to being named the SEC Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year.
Earlier in the outdoor season James claimed the 400m and 200m titles at the CARIFTA Games in George Town, Cayman Islands, clocking a 45.02 in the 400 and a personal best 20.76 in the 200.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the recently-debuted trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.
