Kimberlyn Duncan is a finalist for The Bowerman
EUGENE, Ore. — LSU sprinter Kimberlyn Duncan became the first two-time finalist for The Bowerman, college track and field’s highest individual award, as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its semifinalists for the award.
Coming off a junior year where she won three NCAA titles, Duncan became a collegiate record-holder and was the top individual point scorer at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She scored 201/2 of the Lady Tigers’ NCAA title-winning 76 points.
She is also competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in the 200-meter dash. On Friday, she qualified for Saturday’s final by finishing sixth in the semifinals.
This year’s winners of The Bowerman will be announced Dec. 19, in conjunction with the USTFCCCA Convention.
The Bowerman is presented to the top male and female athlete.
The other women’s finalists are Oregon senior heptathlete Brianne Theisen and Arizona junior high jumper Brigetta Barrett. Men’s finalists are Southern Utah distance runner Cam Levins, Florida sprinter Tony McQuay and Illinois hurdler Andrew Riley.
The winners of The Bowerman will be chosen by a panel of media and track and field officials. Fans can cast their vote starting July 9 by logging on to TheBowerman.org. Online voting will account for one full vote in the process.
“It’s truly an honor to be considered for an award like this,” Duncan said. “I’m very humbled to be picked as a finalist again this year. I’m fortunate to train with my great coaches and teammates at LSU that really push me every single day to improve myself. I think this is just a result of their impact on my life and how they push me each and every day. I feel like I’ve come a long way to this point in my career.”
Duncan has already won the Honda Sports Award for women’s track and field by the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards and was honored as the NCAA Division I National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA in 2012.
At the NCAA outdoors, Duncan defended her NCAA crown in the 200-meter dash, ran the anchor leg for LSU’s hampion 4x100-meter relay team and finished second in the 100.
Her personal-record time of 22.19 stands No. 2 on the NCAA’s all-time list, trailing only the recognized collegiate record of 22.04 set at altitude by LSU great Dawn Sowell
at the 1989 NCAA Championships.