High-Flying Kynard Added to The Bowerman Watch

On the web …

http://www.thebowerman.org/news/high-flying-kynard-added-to-the-bowerman-watch



Women’s watch list update released Thursday.







High-Flying Kynard Added to The Bowerman Watch

K-State sophomore has high jumped over 7-7¾ this season



March 2, 2011



NEW ORLEANS – The Bowerman Men’s Watch Committee in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday their second update of the men’s watch list for collegiate track & field’s biggest award – The Bowerman. Kansas State sophomore Erik Kynard was added to the watch in this update.



Kynard leaped on to the scene with a 7-7¾ (2.33m) clearance in winning the high jump at the Tyson Invitational on February 12. Only two other collegians (Hollis Conway and Brian Brown) in indoor history have jumped higher than Kynard. The sophomore has won all five competitions in which he has entered this year, including the Big 12 Championships. Kynard has won each of those competitions by clearing at least 7-3¾ (2.23m).



THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST 2011 MEN

(updated March 2, 2011, listed in alphabetical order)



NAME
YEAR
SCHOOL
EVENTS
HOMETOWN

Jeshua Anderson
SR
Washington State
Hurdles
Woodland Hills, Calif.

Robby Andrews
SO
Virginia
Distance
Englishtown, N.J.

Sam Chelanga
RS SR
Liberty
Distance
Nairobi, Kenya

Will Claye
JR
Florida
Jumps
Phoenix, Ariz.

Jeff Demps
SO/JR
Florida
Sprints
Winter Garden, Fla.

Mason Finley
SO
Kansas
Throws
Salida, Colo.

Walter Henning
SR
LSU
Throws
Kings Park, N.Y.

Kirani James
SO
Alabama
Sprints
Gouyave, Grenada

Erik Kynard (N)
SO
Kansas State
Jumps
Toledo, Ohio

Christian Taylor
JR
Florida
Jumps
Fayetteville, Ga.




(P) – Promoted from “receiving mention” list this update

(N) – New to either list this update



Jeshua Anderson, Washington State

Senior, Hurdles, Woodland Hills, Calif. (Taft HS)



IN 2011: His season best in the 400-meter dash of 46.93 places him in the collegiate top 35. The outdoor season is where Anderson is expected to shine when he can compete in his specialty event – the 400-meter hurdles.





Robby Andrews, Virginia

Sophomore, Distance, Englishtown, N.J. (Manalapan HS)



IN 2011: Has yet to compete officially. Ran unattached and successfully was the “rabbit” for Bernard Lagat’s attempt to break the American two-mile record.





Sam Chelanga, Liberty

RS Senior, Distance, Nairobi, Kenya (Bartolimo HS/Fairleigh Dickinson)



IN 2011: In his first 5k of the indoor season, Chelanga recorded a then world-leading and current collegiate-leading time of 13:41.35 on his home 200-meter, flat track on January 29. Chelanga notched a would-be collegiate leader of 7:48.24 in the 3000 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix where he finished fourth in a professional-loaded field. Because no collegians were involved in that competition. Chelanga tallied a 7:50.92 clocking at 3000 meters in placing fifth overall at the Flotrack Husky Classic. Chelanga added to his tally of Big South Championships with a Mile crown (4:16.88) this season.





Will Claye, Florida

Junior, Jumps, Phoenix, Ariz. (Mountain Pointe HS/Oklahoma)



IN 2011: Claye stand second nationally in the triple jump with a season’s best of 56-4 (17.17m) achieved in finishing runner up to teammate Christian Taylor at the SEC Championships. Claye is also eighth in the country in the long jump, having notched a season best of 26-1 (7.95m) in taking third at the Tyson Invitational. Claye added a third-place showing in the long jump at the SEC meet, placing behind only Arkansas’ Tarik Batchelor and LSU’s Zedric Thomas – both members of the national top five of the event this year.





Jeff Demps, Florida

Sophomore (indoor)/Junior (outdoor), Sprints, Winter Garden, Fla. (South Lake HS)



IN 2011: After opening the season with a 6.57 in winning the Virginia Tech Elite, Demps has twice more clocked sub-6.60 in the 60 meters, including when he won the SEC title in the event for the second-straight year with a 6.55. Demps ranks No. 2 nationally in the 60, behind only Oklahoma’s Mookie Salaam (6.54).





Mason Finley, Kansas

Sophomore, Throws, Salida, Colo. (Buena Vista HS)



IN 2011: Finley has three wins in the books so far in 2011 in his signature event – the shot put. His opener, a 67-11½ (20.71m) heave to win at the Missouri-Kansas dual leads the rest of Division I by more than two feet feet. Last weekend, at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Finley was upset by Nebraska’s Luke Pinkelman who now stands No. 2 on the descending order list (65-10¼, 20.07m).





Walter Henning, LSU

Senior, Throws, Kings Park, N.Y. (St. Anthony’s HS)



IN 2011: Henning continues not to miss in the weight throw. The LSU strongman has won ten-straight against collegiate competition with the 35-lb. weight – four of which has come from 2011 season, which included his third-straight SEC crown. At the LSU Twilight on Feb. 18, Henning notched his season’s best throw of 76-6¼ (23.32m). Henning’s personal best in the event is 78-1 (23.80m).





Kirani James, Alabama

Sophomore, Sprints, Gouyave, Grenada



IN 2011: On every occasion in which he has stepped on the track for the 400 meters this season, Kirani James has set a new world leader. Starting on Feb. 12 when he ran 45.47 (oversized) to win Notre Dame Meyo Invitational, then on Feb. 26 for the preliminary round of the SEC Championships when he ran 45.37. And, for the trifecta, James, who is only 18, clocked 44.80 in the SEC final to not only set another world record, but it also set a new world junior all-time best. The time places him in the top five of the all-time world indoor list and only Kerron Clement’s (Florida)world record of 44.57 set in 2005 stands as a better all-time collegiate mark.





Erik Kynard, Kansas State

Sophomore, Jumps, Toledo, Ohio



IN 2011: Kynard leaped on to the scene with a 7-7¾ (2.33m) clearance in winning the high jump at the Tyson Invitational on February 12. Only two other collegians (Hollis Conway and Brian Brown) in indoor history have jumped higher than Kynard. The sophomore has won all five competitions in which he has entered this year, including the Big 12 Championships. Kynard has won each of those competitions by clearing at least 7-3¾ (2.23m).



Christian Taylor, Florida

Junior, Jumps, Fayetteville, Ga. (Sandy Creek HS)



IN 2011: Taylor sent quite a message in winning the SEC Championship triple jump on his final attempt. With a mark of 56-11½ (17.36m) that not only won the event for the third-straight time and set a new SEC record, he became the third all-time best collegian indoors in the event. Only Charlie Simpkins (Baptist, 17.50m, 57-5, 1986) and Mike Conley (Arkansas, 17.40m, 57-1, 1985) have jumped farther in indoor collegiate history than Taylor. The Gator also finished eighth at the SEC meet in the long jump and has a season’s best in the event of 25-0 (7.62m), good for the national top 25.





The Bowerman Advisory Board appointed four of its members to comprise The Bowerman Men’s Watch Committee and another four of its members to make up The Bowerman Women’s Watch Committee. The committee will release their next men’s update on Wednesday, March 16. The three men and three women finalists will be named late June.



For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the magnificent trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. Keep up with Bowerman candidates on the USTFCCCA’s weekly results page (http://www.ustfccca.org/weekly-results) and by following the organization’s twitter feed twitter.com/TheBowerman and Facebook page facebook.com/TheBowerman.



ALSO RECEIVING MENTION (9)



NAME
YEAR
SCHOOL
EVENTS
HOMETOWN

Andy Bayer
RS SO
Indiana
Distance
Leo, Ind.

Charles Clark
SR (out)
Florida State
Sprints
Virginia Beach, Va.

Derek Drouin
JR
Indiana
Jumps
Corunna, Ontario

German Fernandez
JR/SO
Oklahoma State
Distance
Riverbank, Calif.

Marquise Goodwin (D)
SO
Texas
Jumps/Sprints
Garland, Texas

Leford Green
JR
Johnson C. Smith
Sprints
St. Catherine, Jamaica

Torrin Lawrence
JR
Georgia
Sprints
Jacksonville, Fla.

Dorian Ulrey
SR
Arkansas
Distance
Port Byron, Ill.

Craig Van Leeuwen
JR
Ramapo
Pole Vault
Little River Falls, N.J.




(D) – demoted from the watch list this update

(NJ – new to either list this update







---

Tom Lewis

U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Communications Manager

1100 Poydras St., Suite 1750

New Orleans, LA 70163

(O) 504-599-8904 (F) 504-599-8909

Email: tom@ustfccca.org

Follow Us: twitter.com/USTFCCCA