ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — University of New Mexico track & field athlete Josh Kerr was named to the men’s Mid-Outdoor Season Bowerman Award Watch List, which was released Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Kerr made his way onto the watch list for The Bowerman, the highest individual honor in collegiate track & field, after setting the world lead in the 1,500-meter run last Friday at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a time of 3 minutes, 35.99 seconds.
The reigning USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men’s National Athlete of the Week, Kerr has posted four winning performances at the last three meets at which he has competed.
Along with a win at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Kerr captured the NCAA title in the mile run in March and earned wins in the mile and the distance medley relay at the Mountain West Indoor Championships in February.
His performance last week in the 1500 also catapulted the sophomore from Scotland into the records books.
His time ranks as the sixth-fastest in the event in NCAA history, sitting just .69 seconds off Sydney Maree’s 36-year-old NCAA record in the 1500. Kerr also owns the New Mexico and Mountain West records in the 1500.
Additionally, Kerr has met the qualifying standard for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.
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. Performances during the indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons count for the award; performances achieved in cross country are not considered.
Kerr is the first male track athlete at UNM to be named to the award’s watch list. New Mexico alumna Courtney Frerichs was a semifinalist for the women’s Bowerman last spring.
Nine other men were selected as watch list members along with Kerr, including KeAndre Bates (Florida), Edward Cheserek (Oregon), Christian Coleman (Tennessee), Mostafa Hassan (Colorado State), Ioannis Kyriazis (Texas A&M), Grant Holloway (Florida), Fred Kerley (Texas A&M), Chris Nilsen (South Dakota) and Lindon Victor (Texas A&M).
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