List of Bowerman Semifinalists | MW Student-Athlete of the Year
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — University of New Mexico track & field student-athlete Josh Kerr was named Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as one of 10 semifinalists for the Men’s Bowerman Award, the highest individual honor in collegiate track & field.
Additionally, the sophomore from Edinburgh, Scotland, was simultaneously named Mountain West Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year by the league, becoming the first athlete in conference history to earn both honors in one season.
Kerr claimed a pair of national titles during his outstanding 2017 track campaign, sweeping both the mile run and the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships.
At March’s NCAA Indoor Championships at Gilliam Indoor Track in College Station, Texas, Kerr defeated 17-time national champion Edward Cheserek of Oregon in the mile to claim his first NCAA crown.
Last week, at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Kerr seized his second national title, holding off the field to win the 1,500 in 3 minutes, 43.03 seconds.
He is just the 11th athlete in NCAA history — and the first since 2008 — to accomplish the indoor/outdoor sweep.
Kerr also ran the sixth-fastest 1,500-meter time in NCAA history at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April, clocking in at 3:35.99.
His time sits just .69 seconds off Sydney Maree’s 36-year-old NCAA record in the 1500 and also doubles as the New Mexico and Mountain West records in the 1500.
Kerr also met the qualifying standard for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.
On top of that, he earned wins in the mile and the distance medley relay at the MW Indoor Championships in February and the 800 and 1,500 at the MW Outdoor Championships in May.
He has crossed the finish line first in his last 15 races, preliminaries and finals included.
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 New Mexico men’s athlete to earn semifinalist status. Courtney Frerichs was a semifinalist for the Women’s Bowerman last year.
The other nine semifinalists for the men’s Bowerman include Cheserek, KeAndre Bates (Florida), Christian Coleman (Tennessee), Grant Holloway (Florida), Fred Kerley (Texas A&M), Emmanuel Korir (UTEP), Ioannis Kyriazis (Texas A&M), Filip Mihaljevic (Virginia) and Lindon Victor (Texas A&M).
Three finalists will be selected from among the 10 semifinalists by the USTFCCCA and announced next Thursday, June 22.
The Mountain West Student-Athlete of the Year award recognizes the outstanding male and female athletes in the sport of outdoor track & field. Student-athletes are nominated and selected by the head coaches at each member institution.
This is the fourth time in the last eight years a Lobo has been selected as the MW Men’s Outdoor Student-Athlete of the Year. Peter Callahan shared the honor in 2015, while Luke Caldwell was honored in 2013 and Lee Emanuel in 2010.
Boise State’s Allie Ostrander earned the Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year honor.
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