media_artricles :: 2014

Lendore lands college award

PHOENIX

Texas A&M, and Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Deon Lendore and Oregon mid-distance runner Laura Roesler were awarded The Bowerman Trophy as the most outstanding male and female collegiate track and field athletes of the 2013-14 season in a ceremony held Wednesday evening at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in the United States as part of the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Convention.

Roesler is the first female athlete from the Pac-12 to win the award, and Lendore is the first male athlete from the SEC to win. Lendore’s win was the fourth straight by an international man, and captain an outstanding year for him on the US college circuit.

Roesler is the first athlete of either gender to win with the 800 metres as her primary event, while Lendore is the first man to win on the strength of his performances in the 400.

“I’d like to thank God for giving me talent and bringing me to the United States, and the board for selecting me,” said Lendore after joining one of the most exclusive clubs in track and field. “We’re all great athletes, and all of the finalists are winners today,” he added.

Lendore put together one of the most dominant collegiate campaigns ever. He ran in eight 400 metres finals in 2014, winning them all and going 1-0 in the 200 to boot. His 45.03 was the fastest indoor time in the world this year, and his 44.36 outdoors led the NCAA. In addition to indoor and outdoor national titles in the 400, the junior anchored the winning 4×400 metre relay and the runners-up 4×100 at outdoor nationals.

Both Roesler and Lendore won the fan vote this summer. They join the ranks of former winners of The Bowerman that includes decathlon world record holder and Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton, 1,500 metre world champion Jenny Barringer (Simpson), Olympic 10k silver medalist Galen Rupp, 2013 100-metre hurdles world champion Brianna Rollins and 2012 Olympic high jump bronze medalist Derek Drouin.

In addition to her individual exploits, Roesler was a key cog on a 4×400 metre relay squad that clinched an NCAA indoor championship for Oregon and finished third at the outdoor national meet. She blew away the competition in both NCAA 800 finals, winning by 1.68 seconds indoors and 1.70 seconds outdoors.

That outdoor national championship margin of victory is the biggest since 2001.

Lendore’s performances against collegians compared favorably to most professionals’ seasons this year. The junior ran the fastest indoor 400 time in the world, and his outdoor season best (run at the SEC meet at Kentucky) made him the fourth-best performer in the world this year.

Like Roesler, Lendore had an outstanding relay season. His 44.63 split for the Aggie indoor 4×400 is the fastest two-lap split in college history. And his anchor leg in Eugene clinched the 4×4 outdoor national title for Texas A&M. That squad ran 2:59.60, just one one-hundredth of a second shy of the collegiate record.

THEBOWERMAN.ORG

Top