Texas A&M's Lendore Named Bowerman Finalist
Junior Texas A&M sprinter Deon Lendore was selected as one of three 2014 Men's Finalists for The Bowerman Trophy - collegiate track & field's highest individual honor - as chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday.
Freshman Edward Cheserek of Oregon and senior Lawi Lalang of Arizona are the other two men's finalists.
Based on their exceptional achievements during the indoor and outdoor collegiate track & field seasons in 2013-14, the trio made the cut as the three men who will travel to Phoenix, Ariz., for the awarding of The Bowerman Trophy on December 17 as part of the USTFCCCA Convention at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge.
Voting to determine both the men's trophy and women's trophy - the finalists for which will be announced Thursday at 2 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT in a web-streamed selection show - will commence July 28 and conclude August 12.
Fans will have an opportunity during that time to make their voices heard in a fan vote that will ultimately count as one ballot alongside those cast by media members, statisticians, USTFCCCA member coaches and other experts from around the nation.
Cheserek, Lalang and Lendore all distinguished themselves to the utmost degree during their 2013-14 track & field campaigns, and their selections as Finalists each have a unique historical perspective as a result.
While Lalang and Cheserek were going back and forth throughout the year, no one could touch Lendore in his signature 400 meters event. The junior won each of his eight finals in the quarter-mile, including a sweep of the indoor and outdoor national titles.
Should Lendore end the evening of December 17 as the winner of The Bowerman Trophy, his victory in combination with Jessica Beard's women's trophy in 2011 would make Texas A&M the first school with both a men's and women's winner.
He was particularly dominant in Southeastern Conference competition, setting personal bests at the conference championships of a world-best 45.03 indoors and 44.36 outdoors to jump to No. 4 and No. 8 on the respective all-time top-10 lists for those seasons.
Texas A&M's relays also leaned heavily on Lendore as an anchor throughout the year, including the 4x400 relay that came within one-hundredth of a second from equaling the collegiate record at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the runner-up 4x100 relay.
Finalists were chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board, a 10-person panel of track & field experts from around the country, based on performances recorded during the 2014 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances through the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are eligible for consideration.