Double-Champ Cheserek Headlines Five New Additions to The Bowerman Men's Watch List

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Double-Champ Cheserek Headlines Five New Additions to The Bowerman Men's Watch List
March 19, 2014

NEW ORLEANS – Edward Cheserek of Oregon, in just his first year as a collegian, is making a habit of stealing the show from his more experienced veteran competitors.

This past weekend he derailed 2013 The Bowerman Finalist Lawi Lalang’s attempt at a triple-championship performance right from the start as Cheserek outkicked the Arizona Wildcat for the 5000 meters title, and went on to add another title at 3000 meters – a title held by Lalang from 2013.

Wednesday – the day that Lalang moved past Florida’s Jeff Demps to became the all-time leader in career Men’s The Bowerman Watch List appearances with 20 in its Post-NCAA Indoor Championships edition – it was again Cheserek of the national team champion Ducks who took the spotlight as the headliner of a new group of five additions to the Watch List.



The Bowerman Men’s Watch List –


Post-NCAA Indoor Championships 2014
(Click student-athletes’ names for biographies)


NAME YEAR SCHOOL EVENTS HOMETOWN
Shawn Barber SO Akron Pole Vault Kingwood, Texas
Curtis Beach SR Duke Combined Events Albuquerque, N.M.
Edward Cheserek FR Oregon Distance Newark, N.J.
Ryan Crouser JR Texas Throws Gresham, Ore.
James Harris SR Florida State Sprints/High Jump Lanett, Ala.
Lawi Lalang SR Arizona Distance Eldoret, Kenya
Jarrion Lawson SO Arkansas Jumps Texarkana, Texas
Deon Lendore JR Texas A&M Sprints Arima, Trinidad & Tobago
Anthony Rotich JR UTEP Distance Nairobi, Kenya
Julian Wruck RS SR UCLA Throws Brisbane, Australia

Also Receiving Votes: Diondre Batson (Alabama); Arman Hall (Florida); Johannes Hock (Texas); Sam Kendricks (Mississippi); Michael Lihrman (Wisconsin); Omar McLeod (Arkansas); Michael Stigler (Kansas)




Joining Cheserek as new additions were pole vault champion Shawn Barber of Akron, heptathlon champ Curtis Beach of Duke, high jump champion James Harris of Florida State and long jump winner Jarrion Lawson of Arkansas.

Cheserek, the first frosh on the Men’s Watch List in 2014 and the first since 2013 The Bowerman Semifinalist Johannes Hock from Texas, wasn’t the only Watch List member to take down Lalang this past weekend.

Anthony Rotich of UTEP took Lalang’s mile title from him by less than a third of a second, leaving the award’s all-time most frequent Watch List member with two national runner-up finishes on the weekend.

A testament to how highly the Watch List committee thinks of the former finalist – and his competition – Lalang was the only member of this edition who competed this weekend who appeared despite not winning a national title.

He had been the top seed and defending national champion both in the mile and at 3000 meters – a collegiate record holder in the former and a two-time defending champ in the latter – and was the 2012 champion and the collegiate record holder at 5000 meters.

Remaining on the Watch List along with Lalang and Rotich were shot put champion Ryan Crouser of Texas, 400 meters champ Deon Lendore of Texas A&M and 2013 Finalist Julian Wruck of UCLA, who has yet to open the season in his signature discus event.

Behind Lalang on the all-time list among active student-athletes are Beach and Wruck with eight appearances apiece. Beach, who hadn’t appeared since the indoor season a year ago, is alone with Lalang as the only active men to have appeared on the Watch List in each of the past three years.

Four members of the Pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Watch List dropped down into the "also receiving mention" classification in Florida’s Arman Hall, Texas’ Johannes Hock, Mississippi’s Sam Kendricks and Wisconsin’s weight throw champion Michael Lihrman.

Joining them were 2014 "also receiving votes" mainstay Michael Stigler of Kansas as he awaits his signature 400 hurdles event outdoors, 200 meters champion Diondre Batson of Alabama and 60-meter hurdles champion Omar McLeod of Arkansas.

With Lendore and Lawson, the SEC brought its all-time best Men’s Watch List appearance total to 116, while the Pac-12 continued to make up ground at 81 with three representatives in Cheserek, Lalang and Wruck.

Making its first appearance on the Watch List – men or women – via Barber was the Mid-American Conference.

Biographies for each of the members of the Watch List can be found here.



ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The Bowerman Trophy, which was first awarded in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.

Indiana’s Derek Drouin and Clemson’s Brianna Rollins are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman. In addition to their collegiate achievements, Rollins is the reigning World Champion in the 100 meter hurdles — an event for which she also holds the American Record — while Drouin has won bronze medals at both the 2012 Olympics and 2013 IAAF World Championships.

Past winners include Olympic gold medalist, World Champion 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).

In total, the winners from the award’s first four years have won three Olympic Medals, six World Championships (one relay, two indoor) and 11 World Championships medals (two relay, one indoor). When considering finalists for the award, 13 individuals have earned a combined six Olympic medals, eight World Championships (one relay, four indoor) and 23 World Championships medals (three realy, six indoor).

Former winners of and finalists for The Bowerman currently hold 21 national records. Each former winner of the men’s Bowerman Trophy holds at least two national records, while two of the five women’s winners are current national record-holders.

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