KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
NEW ORLEANS ? Indiana State senior Kylie Hutson was named to The Bowerman Final Ten list The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee announced in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) today.
On Monday, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the ten men and ten women student-athletes that will be considered for The Bowerman in 2010 as chosen by The Bowerman Men's and Women's Watch List Committees. The groups of 10 will be narrowed to three women and three men by the ten-member Bowerman Advisory Board in the coming weeks.
The Board, chaired by Herman Frazier, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Administration at Temple University, will release their selections on the week of July 12. The Board is vice chaired by Alfreeda Goff, Horizon League Senior Associate Commissioner.
Once the finalists are set, The Bowerman Voters, a group of around 100, consisting of national and regional media personnel, track & field statisticians, NCAA collegiate administrators, and Presidents of affiliated organizations will make their selections. Previous winners Galen Rupp and Jenny Barringer will also receive one vote. Once tabulations are calculated, award winners will be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention, held December 13-16 in San Antonio, Texas.
Hutson led the nation in the women's pole vault for most of the indoor season and won her second straight (third straight overall) women's pole vault championship at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships with a vault of 14'-9” (4.50 meters). That height set an Indiana State school record and the all-time record for the Missouri Valley Conference. Hutson competed in four straight NCAA Indoor Championships during her Indiana State career, winning two championships and earning three All-American recognitions.
In the Missouri Valley Conference, Hutson remained undefeated against conference opponents, winning her fourth straight MVC Indoor women's pole vault title and was named the Most Outstanding Women's Field Athlete at the MVC Indoor Championships for the second straight year. Her vault of 14'-8.25” (4.48 meters) set the MVC Indoor Championship meet record as she earned her fourth Indoor All-Conference recognition.
Hutson ended the indoor season ranked fourth among U.S. Women (the top collegian) and 14th in the world. She won all eight of the pole vault competitions she was entered in during the indoor season.
Throughout her collegiate career, Hutson has demonstrated the ability to overcome adversity and outlast all competitors in women's pole vault competitions. That ability along with her competitiveness and athletic ability was never more apparent than during the 2010 Outdoor season.
Hutson led the nation in the women's pole vault for most of the outdoor season while competing with a slight hamstring injury. She won her second straight (fourth straight overall) women's pole vault championship at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a vault of 14'-7.25” (4.45 meters) which set an NCAA Championship meet record. She competed in four straight NCAA Outdoor Championships, winning two titles and earning All-American status twice.
Hutson set the Indiana State and Missouri Valley Conference all-time record of 14'-9.5” (4.51 meters) at the Billy Hayes Invitational, a mark that stands as the collegiate best in the United States in 2010, the third best all-time in NCAA history, and was, at the time, the fifth best in the world.
It was at the Billy Hayes that Hutson attempted a collegiate record 15'-1.5” but broke her pole (her second broken pole of the competition) on her second attempt with the concussion causing a cut on her left hand that required stitches. The injury kept Hutson out of the MVC Outdoor Championships where she was the three-time defending champion, and put a question mark on whether she would be able to compete in the NCAA Championship.
Hutson continued her training as her hand healed. The East Preliminary competition was her first since the injury and, with just one vault, she pronounced that she was able to overcome the injury, be competitive, and would not quit until she won another championship. Hutson had not attempted the heights she would need to win another NCAA title; but, although she had several misses and fell behind in the NCAA finals, she was able to out jump the field to claim her second straight title.
Hutson won five events during the regular season and finished third in the invitational pole vault competition at the Drake Relays against two 2008 Olympians. Her outdoor mark of 14'-9.5” ended up being the fourth best overall in the U.S. (the top collegian) and the 22nd best overall in the world (ninth best outdoor). She was recently named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine All-Academic District V First Team, was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team for the third straight year and received the Indiana State Hillman Award as the top female senior athlete.
The Bowerman is awarded annually to the top male and female collegiate track & field athletes. The Bowerman 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.
THE BOWERMAN FINAL CANDIDATE LIST, 2010 WOMEN
(listed in alphabetical order, these are the final 10 in consideration for The Bowerman and will be narrowed to three in mid-July)
Semoy Hackett, Lincoln (Mo.), Soph., Sprints, Scarborough, Trinidad & Tobago
Won five NCAA Division II titles in 2010, setting three championships records and an all-time Division II best in the 200
Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech, Senior, Hurdles, Richmond, Va. (Hermitage HS)
Became the first female to win NCAA titles in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles in same season, also was 60m hurdle champ indoors
Kylie Hutson, Indiana State, Senior, Pole Vault, Terre Haute, Ind. (Terre Haute North HS)
Swept indoor and outdoor NCAA pole vault crowns, was undefeated in collegiate competition, and set outdoor NCAA meet record
Mariam Kevkhishvili, Florida, Senior, Throws, Tbilisi, Georgia (Varketili Secondary)
Swept indoor and outdoor NCAA shot put titles, was undefeated in 2010, and claimed marks of over 60 feet four times
Lisa Koll, Iowa State, Senior, Distance, Fort Dodge, Iowa (Fort Dodge HS)
Won NCAA 5k/10k titles outdoors and was 5k champion indoors and notched new collegiate record in 10k at 31:18.07
Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M, Senior, Sprints, Plano, Texas (Plano HS)
NCAA outdoor 200-meter 4x100 champ, second nationally at 100m, second leg of undefeated 4x100-meter squad
Francena McCorory, Hampton, Junior, Sprints, Hampton, Va. (Bethel HS)
Claimed both indoor and outdoor 400-meter titles, won indoor title in American Record 50.54
Blessing Okagbare, UTEP, Senior, Sprints/Jumps, Umuahi, Nigeria (Delta State)
First ever to win both 100m and long jump titles in single NCAA meet, also was NCAA indoor champ at 60m and long jump
Brianne Theisen, Oregon, Junior, Combined Events, Humboldt, Saskatchewan (Humboldt Collegiate Institute)
Was the NCAA champ in the pentathlon indoors and heptathlon outdoors, also led off Ducks' 4x400 that won NCAA crown
Phoebe Wright, Tennessee, Senior, Mid-Distance, Signal Mountain, Tenn. (Red Bank HS)
Swept 800m NCAA crowns, led off DMR to NCAA indoor title, undefeated at 800m, member of three Penn Relays champ teams
The Bowerman Advisory Board appointed four of its members to comprise The Bowerman Men's Watch Committee and another four of its members to make up The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee. The three men and three women finalists will be named on July 13. Award winners will be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention, held December 13-16 in San Antonio, Texas.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the recently-debuted trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. Keep up with Bowerman candidates on the USTFCCCA's weekly results page (http://www.ustfccca.org/weekly-results) and by following the organization's twitter feed twitter.com/TheBowerman and Facebook page facebook.com/TheBowerman.
