TAMPA, Fla.— University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer needs to make room for one more trophy on her mantle as she was named the recipient of the inaugural The Bowerman award on Wednesday night.
The Bowerman will recognize annually the most outstanding collegiate women’s track and field athlete and is administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). It 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 prestige of this award is unparalleled within our sport at the NCAA level.” Barringer said. “To be a recipient is an honor I'll proudly carry to the next level of my career. I want to thank the USTFCCCA for putting the athletes center stage at their own convention and for making this an event I'll never forget.”
Barringer was one of three finalists for the award. The other two nominees were also from Big 12 Conference schools as Destinee Hooker (Texas) and Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M) rounded out the trio. Barringer won the fan vote in November with 40 percent of the votes. Lucas recorded 37 percent and Hooker accumulated 23 percent of the votes.
Barringer, who was named the Honda Sports Award winner for track and field and was a finalist for the Honda Broderick Cup in June, set six NCAA records during the 2009 season as well as seven CU records. She was named the Big 12 Indoor Performer of the Year as well as the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Female Track Athlete of the Year. Barringer won her second USA Track & Field steeplechase title in June and then raced to a fifth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in August; slashing 10 seconds off her personal and American record with a time of 9:12.50 to become the eighth fastest woman in the event.
The native of Oviedo, Fla., won a pair of Big 12 titles in 2009 (indoor mile and steeplechase) and a pair of NCAA Championships (indoor 3k and the steeplechase). Barringer became the first Buff, male or female, to win three NCAA individual titles in the same event (three in the steeplechase) and the first female to win four NCAA crowns. Her mile time of 4:25.91 was the fastest run in the world during the 2009 season. Barringer did not lose a single collegiate race in 2009 and was always the top American to cross the finish no matter where she raced.
One of the most decorated athletes to ever come out of CU, Barringer is a two-time CU Athlete of the Year and was named the CU Athlete of the Week a school record 23 times. She is a 13-time All-Big 12 performer and was an All-American seven times (includes both cross country and track & field). Barringer represented the Buffs, as well as the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China and was the highest placing American in the steeplechase (ninth).
After the Olympics, Barringer turned down opportunities to go pro and even though she was still a collegiate athlete, she was racing against some of the top women in the world. Barringer treated a national audience on NBC to a runner-up finish at the very prestigious Prefontaine Classic in the 1500-meter run. She was ranked 14th out of 15 runners heading into the race and came from behind to run down Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka. Barringer was just .01 seconds off the winning time and became the third American woman to run a sub-four minute 1500 in 3:59.90. Just over a month later, she won the 5k at the DN Galan Super Grand Prix in Stockholm, Sweden.
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. Barringer has also been recognized the past two years as a semi-finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award.
Oregon’s Galen Rupp was awarded with the men’s honor.
