Sha’Keela Saunders on March Bowerman Watch List
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The sixth best indoor long jump in collegiate history landed Kentucky senior Sha’Keela Saunders on the latest edition of the Bowerman Award Watch List, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced this week.
The Bowerman Award is collegiate track and field’s top individual honor.
Saunders reclaimed the Southeastern Conference indoor long jump gold that she first won at home in 2015 at the conference meet, last weekend. She needed to reach the No. 6 indoor mark in collegiate history — 22-feet, 4.5 inches/6.82 meters to win.
Living up to the conference’s well-earned formidable reputation Friday’s long jump was the most competitive in indoor collegiate history as three collegians passed 22 feet in the same meet for the first time, per USTFCCCA records. Alabama’s defending champion Quanesha Burks, receiving votes on this month’s watch list, was the runner-up with a mark of 22’2.25”/6.76m, and fellow pre-NCAA Championships watch list member Keturah Orji (Georgia) was third with a mark of 22’0.75”/6.72m.
“This long jump competition gets harder every year,” Saunders said last weekend. “I can honestly say my competitors have made me better. We can never get comfortable, and nothing is ever easy in this league. I’m so grateful to be in a conference that forces us to achieve greatness.”
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn – winner of the SEC 60m hurdles and silver medalist in the 200m dash – was listed as receiving votes on this month’s watch list.
Both Saunders and Camacho-Quinn qualified in two events (Saunders in the long jump jump and triple jump, Camacho-Quinn in the 60m hurdles and 200m) at next week’s NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA and considered the most prestigious individual award in collegiate track and field.
Past winners include twice Olympic gold medalist, World Champion and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton, marathon and 10,000-meter Olympic medalist Galen Rupp (2009), 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters Jenny Simpson (2009), 2016 100-meter hurdles Olympic gold medalist Brianna Rollins (2013) and 2016 Olympic high jump gold medalist Derek Drouin (2013).
Former Oregon head coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, who the award is named for, 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.
UK will send 12 entries – 10 women’s and two men’s – to the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend. The Championships will be held at Texas A&M’s Gilliam Indoor Stadium.
The
Bowerman Women’s Watch List:
2017 Pre-Indoor Championship Edition
(Click student-athletes’ names for their TFRRS page)
|
NAME |
YEAR |
SCHOOL |
EVENTS |
HOMETOWN |
|
JR |
Oregon |
Sprints |
Federal |
|
|
SR |
Oklahoma |
Mid-Distance |
Highlands |
|
|
SO |
Texas |
Mid-Distance |
Long |
|
|
JR |
Georgia |
Jumps |
Mount |
|
|
JR |
Oregon |
Mid-Distance |
Houston, |
|
|
JR |
Mississippi |
Throws |
Charleston, |
|
|
SR |
Kentucky |
Jumps |
Suffolk, |
|
|
SR |
Oregon |
Hurdles |
Castro |
|
|
RS |
Oregon |
Sprints |
Signal |
|
|
SR |
Georgia |
Combined |
Marietta, |
|
|
Also |
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NEXT: |
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