ATLANTA – University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer has been named a semi-finalist for the sixth annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award.
The Wooden Cup is given to one collegiate and one professional athlete who have made the greatest positive influence in the lives of others. Half of the score is decided from what the athlete does in the college community and society while the other half is their athletic accomplishments, relationships with teammates and coaches, as well as how they deal with victory and defeat.
Barringer is one of 20 student-athletes who were named semi-finalists for the award; another 26 were named honorable mention, while five were selected as finalists. This is the second straight year she has been honored as a semi-finalist for the award.
The Oviedo, Fla. native recently completed her eligibility as a member of the cross country and track & field teams at CU. She competed at the 2009 IAAF World Championships and reset her American record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:12.50 in the finals and placed fifth overall. Barringer also won the 2009 NCAA title in the event to earn her third NCAA title and her sixth All-American honor. She became the first female athlete at CU to win four NCAA Championships (she also won the 2009 indoor 3k title on top of the three steeplechase titles) and also set six NCAA records and seven CU records during the ’09 track season, which included the fastest time in the world in the mile (4:25.91). Barringer also won her second USATF title in 2009.
In the classroom, Barringer is a member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team (cross country and track & field), the Dean’s List, the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a 2008 and 09 Academic All-American. She owns a 3.7 GPA while double-majoring in political science and economics and is set to graduate this month.
Outside of CU, Barringer is is a member of the Cornerstone Church in Boulder and has been working with the refugee ministry since her sophomore year. Barringer’s involvement began by weekly mentoring a Sudanese boy that the church sponsored. She helped him with his homework, finances (balancing his checkbook) and assimilating him into our culture. Barringer continues with the program by volunteering and attending visits to the hospital, school and church functions (every Sunday) and other group gatherings. Among these sponsored refugees is a Burmese family, as she helps with one of the children who is deaf. Barringer has volunteered in many ways such as regularly attending their elementary school, working in a deaf classroom, taking them to local track meets, attending meals and other group gatherings.
Founded by Athletes for a Better World (ABW), a non-profit organization committed to changing the culture of American sports, the Wooden Cup is unique in that it is open to athletes in all collegiate and professional sports. Nominations come from every conference in the NCAA.
The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden’s legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.
Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.
About Athletes for a Better World:
Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to change the culture of sport by developing individual character, teamwork, and civic responsibility through commitment to the Code for Living. ABW’s vision is to have the Code become a part of every sport at every level, so that it becomes the common language and standard expectation of behavior for everyone. ABW provides free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. “The Code for Living” can be found on playing fields, locker rooms and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign countries.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
