MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Texas A&M senior Fred Kerley and Oregon junior Raevyn Rogers were selected as outdoor Collegiate Athletes of the Year by the magazine Track & Field News in its July issue.
A tough decision process for the men’s honor included deciphering a collegiate 400m record performance by Kerley and a pair of collegiate records in the decathlon by Aggie senior Lindon Victor. Tennessee’s Christian Coleman also set a collegiate record in the 100m and claimed a NCAA 100m/200m double. Team and relay wins didn’t factor into the equation as the honor is meant to be an individual award.
The magazine noted the international impact of Kerley’s world-leading time of 43.70 seconds, backed up by times of 44.09 and 44.10, as the deciding factor.
Kerley (Taylor, Texas) completed an undefeated season in the 400m with a NCAA title and became the first sprinter to ever run under 44 seconds during a collegiate season. His 43.70 during the NCAA West preliminary round, which broke a 25-year-old collegiate record, ranks No. 7 on the all-time world list and No. 6 on the all-time U.S. list.
Some of the legendary names Kerley passed on the global all-time list includes the following Olympic medalists – 43.81 Danny Everett (1992, bronze medal in 1988), 43.86 Lee Evans (1968 gold medal), 43.87 Steve Lewis (1988 gold medal), and 43.97 Larry James (1968 silver medal).
Rogers (Houston, Texas) won her third consecutive NCAA Outdoor title at 800m and set a collegiate record in April with a time of 1:59.10. Other collegiate record setters considered for the honor included Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen (hammer) and Florida’s Kyra Jefferson (200m).
Since the first Bowerman Award was presented in 2009, which includes the indoor and outdoor collegiate season in its criteria, the outdoor Collegiate Athlete of the Year named by Track & Field News has coincided with the Bowerman winner on five of eight occasions for both the men and women.
Kerley and Rogers are also finalists for the Bowerman Award, which will be announced in December during the annual USTFCCCA convention. Fan voting for the Bowerman Award concludes Friday, June 30. Fans can vote up to five times per day, per email address, at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2LXW9KV.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics