University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer was named the recipient of the inaugural The Bowerman award, it was announced.

 

The Bowerman will recognize annually the most outstanding collegiate women’s track and field athlete and is administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  It is named in honor of track and field pioneer Bill Bowerman, who served the sport of track and field in numerous ways, including his leadership in the USTFCCCA predecessor organization the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole.

Barringer was one of three finalists for the award. The other two nominees were also from Big 12 Conference schools as Destinee Hooker (Texas) and Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M) rounded out the trio.  Barringer won the fan vote in November with 40 percent of the votes. Lucas recorded 37 percent and Hooker accumulated 23 percent of the votes.

Barringer, who was named the Honda Sports Award winner for track and field and was a finalist for the Honda Broderick Cup in June, set six NCAA records during the 2009 season as well as seven CU records. She was named the Big 12 Indoor Performer of the Year as well as the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Female Track Athlete of the Year. Barringer won her second USA Track & Field steeplechase title in June and then raced to a fifth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in August; slashing 10 seconds off her personal and American record with a time of 9:12.50 to become the eighth fastest woman in the event.

The native of Oviedo, Fla., won a pair of Big 12 titles in 2009 (indoor mile and steeplechase) and a pair of NCAA Championships (indoor 3k and the steeplechase).  Her mile time of 4:25.91 was the fastest run in the world during the 2009 season. Barringer did not lose a single collegiate race in 2009.

In the classroom, Barringer is a member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team (cross country and track & field), the Dean’s List, the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a 2008 and 2009 Academic All-American. She owns a 3.7 GPA while double-majoring in political science and economics.

Oklahoma State's German Fernandez was one of three finalists on the men's side, finishing first in fan voting with 42 percent of the vote. Fernandez went undefeated at distances of 3,000 meters or less during the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons, winning the NCAA Division I outdoor national title in the 1,500 meters with a season-best time of 3:39.00. He also won Big 12 Conference indoor titles in the one mile and 3,000 meter races, while setting a new indoor collegiate record and a new junior world record of 3:55.02 in the one mile race. He added two more Big 12 titles to his name when he won outdoor conference titles in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters.