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Ole Miss’ Robertson Draws Acclaim from Bowerman Watch List Committee

World-leader in the high jump now being watch for collegiate track & field’s top award

April 11, 2012

NEW ORLEANS – Ricky Robertson from the University of Mississippi is the latest to be added to The Bowerman Watch List top group of ten as announced by the award’s committee on Wednesday. Robertson is now being watched for collegiate track & field’s top award after clearing a world-leading height of 7-7¼ (2.32m) in the high jump last weekend at the Florida Relays.

Robertson is the first man from Ole Miss to be named to the award’s watch list since the process began three years ago. Robertson is one of four from the SEC on the current men’s watch list, joining Jeff Demps (Florida), Andrew Irwin (Arkansas), and Tony McQuay (Florida).

Added to the “also receiving mention” portion of the watch list in this update is Western State’s Tyler Pennel. Pennel clocked the collegiate-leading time in the 10,000 meters this past weekend at the Stanford Invitational (28:23.54). Additionally, Pennel was the NCAA Division II Cross Country Champion this fall.

THE BOWERMAN OFFICIAL WATCH LIST, 2012 MEN

(updated April 11, listed in alphabetical order, always ten names)

(P) – Promoted from the “also receiving mention” list

(N) – new to either list

QUICKLY – The Watch List in 2012

Miles Batty, BYU – OUTDOOR: Only race of the season thus far, he won the 1500 meters in 3:50.45 at the BYU-Southern California-Boise State triangular.

INDOOR: Batty collected a pair of third-place finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships with performances in the mile and as anchor of the distance medley relay. In the national final of the DMR, Batty brought his team from seventh to third with the fastest 1600-meter split in the field (3:57.98). 

At the Millrose Games, Batty notched a new collegiate-record in the mile with a 3:54.54 clocking in taking second overall to professional Matthew Centrowitz. The time also placed seventh on the world indoor list for 2012.

He placed third overall and as the second collegian in the UW Invitational 3000 meters, clocking an all-conditions personal best 7:49.58. The time is also currently the NCAA’s No. 6 seed for the NCAA Championships. Batty has also anchored the Cougar DMR team to the nation’s best time of the year – 9:29.00 (OT) in a winning effort at MPSF Championships. Winner of the MPSF 800 meters in 1:49.17 (OT). Only Batty and Southern Utah’s Cam Levins have clocked sub-1:50 or better in the 800, sub-4:00 in the mile, and sub-7:50 in the 3000 meters this season.

Curtis Beach, Duke – OUTDOOR: Beach has not completed a decathlon – his bread and butter event – yet this season, but wowed observers with a 1:47.99 run in the 800 meters at last weekend’s Duke Invitational. The time ranks in the national top ten among all collegians in the event this year.

INDOOR: Beach was the indoor season’s NCAA and ACC Champion of the heptathlon. With a score of 6,183 points, a score that finished fourth in the world in 2012, at the national championships, Beach became the third-best performer in the collegiate history of the event. He sits only behind world-record holder Ashton Eaton (Oregon) and Olympic medalist and two-time World Champion Trey Hardee (Texas) on the all-time list. Also at the NCAA Championships, Beach reset his own heptathlon world record by four seconds in the 1000 meters with a run of 2:23.63 to secure overall victory. The time also placed him in the collegiate top ten of the open 1000 for the season. Beach won the ACC title in the heptathlon by nearly 600 points with a score of 5,862.

Jeff Demps, Florida – OUTDOOR: Claimed the collegiate-leading mark in the 100 meters with a winning performance at the Florida Relays with a 10.11 run. Demps claimed the Texas Relays crown in the 100 as well with a 10.01 wind-aided (2.9) performance. The wind-aided 10.01 is also currently the all-conditions world-leader of the year.

INDOOR: Demps won his third-consecutive NCAA 60-meter title during the indoor season, joining Pitt’s Lee McRae (1986-87-88, 55 meters), Texas A&M’s Curtis Dickey (1978-79-80, 60 yards), and Nebraska’s Charlie Greene (1965-66-67, 60 yards) as three-time national indoor sprint champs. In the national preliminary, Demps clocked a personal-best and collegiate-leading 6.52 to move to eighth on the all-time collegiate list in the event. Demps finished third in the 60-meter final at the SEC meet (6.64). In total, Demps clocked sub-6.60 on six occasions in the 60, a national best. Demps’6.52 placed him sixth on the world list for 2012.

Jarret Eaton, Syracuse – OUTDOOR: Opened outdoor season last weekend at the Auburn Classic, finishing as the top collegian with a run of 13.75 to rank in the nation’s top ten in the event.

INDOOR: Eaton won the 60-meter hurdles national title during the indoor season, clocking 7.54 in the NCAA’s final. In all, he recorded four of the top five collegiate 60-meter hurdle marks in 2012, including the collegiate-leading mark of 7.49 at the Penn State National. The 7.49 time is the fastest collegiate time since 1997 and only Reggie Torian of Wisconsin – the collegiate record holder has run faster (7.47). Eaton won the Big East title (7.70) and New Balance Collegiate Invite title (7.90). The 7.49 finished the season ranked No. 5 in the world for 2012.

Marquise Goodwin, Texas – OUTDOOR: Has not participated in the long jump so far in the outdoor season. Winner of the 100 meters in the UCLA-Texas dual (10.58).

INDOOR: At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Goodwin placed third in the long jump. The Longhorn won the Big 12 title in the long jump and finished fifth at the league meet in the 60. He finished the season ranked second in the collegiate ranks in the long jump with season-best leap of 26-7 (8.10m), captured in winning at the Razorback Invitational in January. He also had a season-best time of 6.70(A) in the 60 meters.

Andrew Irwin, Arkansas – OUTDOOR: Has second best vault in the world and best in the collegiate ranks (18-4½, 5.60m) so far this outdoor season from his lone performance, a winning one at the Arkansas Spring Invitational.

INDOOR: Irwin won the NCAA indoor title in the pole vault as just a freshman. He was the only to clear 18-2½ (5.55m) at the national meet which also turned out to be the collegiate-season’s best. Irwin won the SEC title as the only to clear 18-1¾ (5.53m). Throughout the indoor season, Irwin cleared 18-feet or higher on four occasions, a national high.

Lawi Lalang, Arizona – OUTDOOR: Took ninth overall at the Stanford Invitational in the 1500 meters with an opener of 3:41.65. Winner of the Jim Click Shootout 800 meters in 1:49.54.

INDOOR: Lalang had one of the most noteworthy collegiate indoor seasons of all-time. In a total of five distance races, Lalang never lost to a collegian, set a new collegiate record in the 5000 meters, and won two NCAA titles.

At the NCAA Championships, Lalang scored the 3000-5000 double with titles in both events – the first to do so since Oregon’s Galen Rupp in 2009. In the 5000, Lalang claimed a new NCAA-Championships record with a 13:25.11 run, clocking 28.09 in the final 200 meters, in holding off Stanford’s Chris Derrick. The next night, Lalang again held off Derrick and won the 3000 by a sixth-of-a-second in 7:46.64, just off the meet record of 7:46.03. Lalang closed the 3000 with laps of 28.60 and 27.28. Earlier in the season, Lalang toppled the collegiate record in the 5000 meters by 10 seconds with a 13:08.28 run at the Millrose Games where he finished second only to professional Bernard Lagat. Lalang also won the MPSF 3000-meter title in 7:44.48 (OT) and opened the season by winning the Razorback Invitational mile in 3:55.09, the third-fastest time in collegiate history.

Tony McQuay, Florida – OUTDOOR: Won the 400 meters at the Florida Relays in 45.65, a time that is tied for third in the collegiate ranks and in the world’s top five this season.

INDOOR: McQuay won the NCAA indoor title in the 400 meters with a collegiate-leading time of 45.77 – a performance that also placed him in the world’s top ten for 2012. In event’s preliminary, he ran a then-collegiate leading 45.85 to lead all qualifiers.

Maurice Mitchell, Florida State – OUTDOOR: Winner of the 200 meters at the Florida Relays with a wind-aided (3.4) run of 20.08. The time is the all-conditions collegiate leader this season and second in the world so far this year under all conditions.

INDOOR: At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Mitchell placed third in the 200 meters (20.66) and sixth in the 60 meters (6.62). In the preliminaries of both events, Mitchell ran season bests of 6.59 (60) and 20.60 (200). Mitchell claimed the ACC title in the 200 meters and was the conference’s runner-up in the 60.

Ricky Robertson, Mississippi – OUTDOOR: Holds claim to the world-leading outdoor mark in the high jump after a winning leap of 7-7¼ (2.32m) at last weekend’s Florida Relays. He has went 3-for-3 in events this season, having won each event by clearing at least 7-4½ (2.25m).

INDOOR: Finished ninth in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was the SEC Champion in the event. Cleared a season’s best of 7-4¼ (2.25m) to take the SEC crown.

ALSO RECEIVING MENTION

(D) – Demoted from the watch list

(N) – new to either list

ABOUT THE BOWERMAN

The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.

Florida State’s Ngoni Makusha and Texas A&M’s Jessica Beard are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.

Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership in the USTFCCCA’s predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.

For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.

ABOUT THE USTFCCCA

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.

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U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Communications Manager

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