Crouser, Hock & Young Join Final Regular-Season The Bowerman Men's Watch List

May 15, 2013


NEW ORLEANS – The final The Bowerman men’s Watch List of the regular season features three new names — including a pair of Longhorns — as the collegiate track & field season prepares for national championship season.

Texas thrower Ryan Crouser and teammate decathlete Johannes Hock are on the Watch List for the first time in their careers with big performances at the Big 12 Championships, joined by Ole Miss’ Isiah Young following a strong weekend at the SEC Championships. The addition of Crouser and hock give Texas eight total Watch List appearances between three student-athletes — long jumper Marquise Goodwin being the other with six career appearances. Young is the second Ole Miss student-athlete to make the Watch List, joining temmate Ricky Robertson who was included twice in 2012.

With Young and Florida’s Marquis Dendy, the SEC has now been represented on the men’s Watch List 100 total times, far ahead of the Pac-12′s 67 — though the Pac-12 has the advantage this week with three Watch Listers in UCLA thrower Julian Wruck, Arizona distance runner Lawi Lalang and USC sprinter Bryshon Nellum. Dendy’s inclusion makes 57 total appearances for Florida student-athletes, more than any single conference outside the SEC and Pac-12.

The Watch List combined for 12 individual conference titles over the past two weeks, including two-title performances from Pac-12 stars Lalang (1500/10,000) and Nellum of USC (200/400), and the Big Sky’s Diego Estrada (1500/5000).

Lalang makes his 15th career appearance on the Watch List, most among active men and third all-time. Kansas State’s Erik Kynard is next on the active list with nine.

THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST, PRE-CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013
(Updated May 15, 2013. Listed in alphabetical order by last name.)

NAME YEAR SCHOOL EVENTS HOMETOWN
Ryan Crouser SO Texas Throws Gresham, Ore.
Marquis Dendy SO Florida Jumps Middletown, Del.
Derek Drouin RS SR Indiana Jumps/Cmb. Events Corunna, Ontario
Diego Estrada SR Northern Arizona Distance Salinas, Calif.
Johannes Hock FR Texas Combined Events Cologne, Germany
Erik Kynard SR Kansas State High Jump Toledo, Ohio
Lawi Lalang JR Arizona Distance Eldoret, Kenya
Bryshon Nellum RS SR Southern California Sprints Los Angeles, Calif.
Julian Wruck RS JR UCLA Throws Brisbane, Australia
Isiah Young SR Mississippi Sprints Junction City, Kan.



QUICKLY – THE WATCH LIST
Ryan Crouser, Texas

Courtesy: TexasSports.com
This Season: Claimed the Big 12 Shot put title with a collegiate-leading mark of 69-2½ (21.09m) — best in Division I by more than five-and-a-half feet — and finished third in the discus (181-10/55.42m). Has not lost in three shot put competitions this outdoor season. Is currently ranked No. 12 in the discus at 194-6 (59.28m) with a performance from the Texas Relays.



Marquis Dendy, Florida

Courtesy: GatorZone.com
Since Last Time: Finished runner-up in both the long jump (27-2½w / 8.34m, +2.3m/s) and the triple jump (52-7¼/16.03m). Currently ranks No. 2 in the long jump and No. 8 in the triple jump. Won the long jump at the Florida State Twilight.

This Season: Leads all collegians in the outdoor long jump at 26-9¾w (8.17m, +2.8m/s) at the Texas Relays in his 2013 outdoor debut. Won the NCAA Indoor long jump with a mark of 27-2 (8.28m), making him the sixth-best performer in collegiate history, and jumped 27-0 (8.23m) on another attempt. Finished fourth in the NCAA Indoor triple jump at 53-1¾ (16.20m). Recorded a then-collegiate-best long jump mark of 2013 with a 27-1 (8.25m) in winning the SEC Individual Championship in the event. He surpassed 27 feet twice in the competition, and recorded another just a quarter of an inch shy. He is the only collegiate jumper to surpass 27 feet this season in multiple competitions.




Derek Drouin, Indiana

Courtesy: IUHoosiers.com
Since Last Time: Is currently the world No. 2 in the high jump. Won the Big Ten high jump title with a clearance of 7-4¼ (2.24m), giving him four conference crowns outdoors and three more indoors for a career total of seven.

This Season: Set the Penn Relays and Franklin Field records with a clearance of 7-7¾ (2.33m) at the Penn Relays. Won the high jump at the Polytan Invitational with a clearance of 7-7 (2.31m). Won the Texas Relays high jump with a collegiate-leading clearance of 7-6½ (2.30m) in his outdoor debut. Earned 2013 DI National Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honors. Won the NCAA Indoor title in the high jump with a No. 2 all-time collegiate mark and Canadian record of 7-8½ (2.35m) without missing through seven heights. Nearly cleared but missed on three attempts at a collegiate-record 7-9¾ (2.38m) at the Indoor Championships. Cleared a then-nation-leading 7-7¼ (2.32m) in the high jump at the Hoosier Hills Open, good for the tenth-best clearance in collegiate history. Set the all-time world-best in the heptathlon high jump with a clearance of 7-6½ (2.30m). Won the Big Ten title in the high jump with a mark of 7-5 (2.26m) and finished third in the heptathlon (5,817) with the eighth-best collegiate score this season. Has won his past seven indoor high jump events against collegians dating back to the 2011-12 season.



Diego Estrada, Northern Arizona

Courtesy: NAUAthletics.com Since Last Time: Won Big Sky titles at 1500 meters in 3:47.90 and 5000 meters in 14:26.73.

This Season: Ran the second-fastest outdoor in-season 5000 in collegiate history with a 13:15.33 at the Payton Jordan Invitational, finishing third in a race filled with professionals and top collegians. Has shown great range in 2013, finishing fifth in his 2013 outdoor debut in the Stanford Invitational 10,000 with a 28:52.73 and seventh in the Mt. SAC Relays 1500 at 3:41.90. Was the NCAA runner-up in the indoor 5000 at 13:30.24 and finished fourth at 3000 meters in 7:49.53. Indoor Big Sky Champion in both the mile and at 3000 meters.




Johannes Hock, Texas

Courtesy: TexasSports.com
This Season: Is currently No. 2 in the world in the decathlon. Won the Big 12 Championships decathlon in his first collegiate decathlon competition with a score of 8,293, giving him the seventh-best score in collegiate history and making him the sixth-best individual performer. Won six of the ten components — shot put, discus, long jump, pole vault, 100 meters and 400 meters — and finished in the top three in all but the 1500. Finished sixth in the NCAA indoor heptathlon with a score of 5,873 and claimed the indoor Big 12 heptathlon title with a score of 5,858.




Erik Kynard, Kansas State

Courtesy: KStateSports.com
Since Last Time: Is currently the world No. 1 in the high jump. Won the Big 12 high jump title with a clearance of 7-6½ (2.30m), his third-straight title outdoors to add to three indoor Big 12 titles. Jumped 7-5 (2.26m) to win the Ward Haylett Invitational.

This Season: Tied his career-best with a clearance of 7-8 (2.34m) in a win at the Mt. SAC Relays over former world champion Jesse Williams and Canada’s Michael Mason. Finished runner-up to Drouin at the Texas Relays high jump with a clearance of 7-5¼ (2.27m). Finished third on misses at the NCAA Indoor high jump with a mark of 7-6 (2.29m). Posted a then-collegiate-leading mark of 7-7¾ (2.33m) at the KSU Open, tying his indoor career-best and No. 3 all-time collegiate mark. Has won eight of his ten events this season and 27 of his past 231 event finals – indoors and outdoors – against collegians dating back to the 2010-11 season. Claimed the 2013 Big 12 high jump individual title with a mark of 7-7 (2.31m), defeating the field by more than five inches. Has cleared heights of 7-6 or higher in six of his ten events this season.




Lawi Lalang, Arizona

Courtesy: ArizonaWildcats.com
Since Last Time: Appears on The Bowerman Watch List for the 15th time, most among all active student-athletes and third all-time. Ran a collegiate-leading 3:38.53 to win the Pac-12 1500 title, and a 28:14.63 to win the 10,000 meters title in his event debut. Ranked No. 2 in the country at 10,000 meters. Also ran a 3:41.87 in the prelims of the Pac-12 1500 meters competition.

This Season: Debuted (2013 outdoor) at the Arizona-Arizona State-Northern Arizona double dual with wins at 1500 meters in 3:41.52 and at 5000 in 13:40.85 by over a minute. Earned 2013 DI National Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors. Completed an NCAA Indoor double championship in the mile and at 3000 meters, both of which were in meet-record fashion: 3:54.74 for the mile and 7:45.94 at 3000 meters. First to complete this double since Bernard Lagat of Washington State in 1999. Ran the third-fastest indoor mile in collegiate history when he finished fifth overall and second among collegians at the Millrose Games with a 3:54.56. Became the third-fastest performer in the 3000 in collegiate history when he clocked a solo 7:42.79 at the Razorback Invitational to win by 15 seconds over the then-No. 2 performer in DI.




Bryshon Nellum, USC

Courtesy: USCTrojans.com
Since Last Time: Ran a collegiate-leading 44.76 at 400 meters and the second-fastest 200 in the country at 20.23 (+1.5m/s) to claim Pac-12 titles in both events. Both marks were Pac-12 Championships records, and his 400 mark is No. 3 in the world. He is the only collegian to run faster than 45.00 at 400 meters this season.

This Season: Won both the 200 and 400 at the UCLA/USC dual meet, winning at 200 meters in a collegiate-leading 20.37 (+0.9). Won the Florida Relays 400 in a then-collegiate leading 45.54. Finished runner-up and tops among collegians in the Mt. SAC Relays 400 elite in 45.65.




Julian Wruck, UCLA

Courtesy: UCLABruins.com
Since Last Time: Now owns the top 24 collegiate throws of the 2013 outdoor season and five of the top 10 collegiate throws all-time. Won the Pac-12 Championships discus throw with a meet-record mark of 214-7 (65.41m), and finished fifth in the shot put (55-9¾/17.01m).Currently ranked No. 2 in the world with three of the four best throws.

This Season: Earned wins at the Mt. SAC Relays (211-9/64.55m), the UCSD Triton Invitational (216-3/65.92m) and the UCLA/USC Dual (214-3/65.31m). Won the discus in a dual against LSU/TCU with a mark of 216-8 (66.05m), which is the No. 6 throw in collegiate history. The week prior he launched a 216-7 (66.01m) at the Texas Relays, good for No. 7 all time, and a 215-10 (65.80m), then No. 10 all time.



Isiah Young, Mississippi

Courtesy: OleMissSports.com
This Season: Won the SEC 200 meters championship in a collegiate-leading 20.20 (+0.9m/s) over indoor 200 champ and former Watch Lister Ameer Webb of Texas A&M. Finished runner-up in the SEC 100 meters in 10.14 (+0.5m/s) after running the No. 2 qualifying time of 10.05w (+2.4m/s). Has run 10.14 or faster in five 100 meter races, including a win at the Drake Relays in 10.07w (+2.1m/s) and a wind-legal 10.09 (+1.2m/s) win at the Mississippi Open.




ALSO RECEIVING MENTION
NAME YEAR SCHOOL EVENTS HOMETOWN
Sam Humphreys SR Texas A&M Throws Laredo, Texas
Andrew Irwin SO Arkansas Pole Vault Mount Ida, Ark.
Eddie Lovett JR Florida Hurdles West Palm Beach, Fla.
Ameer Webb SR Texas A&M Sprints Tustin, Calif.



ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
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.

Southern Utah’s Cam Levins and LSU’s Kimberlyn Duncan are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.

Past winners include Olympic gold medalist and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), 10,000-meter Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp (2009), and 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters, Jenny Simpson (2009).

Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership in the USTFCCCA’s predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.

For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.

ABOUT THE USTFCCCA
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.






U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
1100 Poydras Street, Suite 1750
New Orleans, LA 70163

Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
Communications Assistant
kyle@ustfccca.org
(504) 599-8905













--

---

Kyle Terwillegar

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

Communications Assistant

1100 Poydras St., Suite 1750

New Orleans, LA 70163

(O) 504-599-8905 (F) 504-599-8909

Email: kyle@ustfccca.org

Follow Us: twitter.com/USTFCCCA