2016 The Bowerman Award CeremonyDec 15, 2016 by Dennis Young
The Men's Bowerman: Who Will Win And Who Should Win
The Men's Bowerman: Who Will Win And Who Should Win
One of Edward Cheserek, Donavan Brazier, or Jarrion Lawson will win the Bowerman on Friday, December 16.
The Bowerman, collegiate track and field's highest individual honor, will be awarded live on FloTrack starting at 7:00 PM Eastern on Friday, December 16. The men's finalists are Arkansas jumper/sprinter Jarrion Lawson, Oregon distance runner Edward Cheserek, and Texas A&M middle distance runner Donavan Brazier. Below, we break down who we think should win, and who we think will win.
Gordon Mack: Clayton Murphy should win, but he's not even a finalist. Jarrion Lawson will win because the voters love Jesse Owens, so it will be cool to give him the award based on the "Jesse Owens triple." (Lawson won the 100m, 200m, and long jump at outdoor NCAAs, making him the first man to do so since Jesse Owens in 1936.)
Meg Bellino: I think Lawson will win. But Cheserek completed one of the wildest triples in NCAA history. After winning the 5K, he rested for 30 minutes, hopped in to anchor the Ducks' DMR and ran 3:52! He came back to win the 3K the next day, as well as outdoor 5K and 10K titles. He didn't HAVE to do that triple indoors. One could argue that the mile, 3K and 5K may have been easier on the legs and lungs. Give the man the Bowerman already!
Taylor Dutch: Jarrion Lawson's triple win--100m, 200m, long jump--at the NCAA Outdoor Championships solidified his legendary status which matched Jesse Owens' NCAA triple in 1936. Lawson became the first athlete since Owens to accomplish the feat. The Arkansas grad ended his senior year on the highest note by mirroring history and should receive the award, and the voters will see it the same way.
Dennis Young: I picked Lawson after NCAAs, writing that "If you do something no one has done since Jesse Owens, you win the Bowerman. The uniqueness and difficulty of Lawson's long jump/100/200 triple outdoors slightly outweigh Ches's indoor triple and outdoor double for me, though this is the first time King C will be evaluated for the Bowerman with zero NCAA Championship losses."
Like Gordon, I think Murphy should have been a finalist. The fact that Brazier was nominated instead says that the voters don't care at all about indoor track, which means that Lawson is the clear favorite to win.
Gordon Mack: Clayton Murphy should win, but he's not even a finalist. Jarrion Lawson will win because the voters love Jesse Owens, so it will be cool to give him the award based on the "Jesse Owens triple." (Lawson won the 100m, 200m, and long jump at outdoor NCAAs, making him the first man to do so since Jesse Owens in 1936.)
Meg Bellino: I think Lawson will win. But Cheserek completed one of the wildest triples in NCAA history. After winning the 5K, he rested for 30 minutes, hopped in to anchor the Ducks' DMR and ran 3:52! He came back to win the 3K the next day, as well as outdoor 5K and 10K titles. He didn't HAVE to do that triple indoors. One could argue that the mile, 3K and 5K may have been easier on the legs and lungs. Give the man the Bowerman already!
Taylor Dutch: Jarrion Lawson's triple win--100m, 200m, long jump--at the NCAA Outdoor Championships solidified his legendary status which matched Jesse Owens' NCAA triple in 1936. Lawson became the first athlete since Owens to accomplish the feat. The Arkansas grad ended his senior year on the highest note by mirroring history and should receive the award, and the voters will see it the same way.
Dennis Young: I picked Lawson after NCAAs, writing that "If you do something no one has done since Jesse Owens, you win the Bowerman. The uniqueness and difficulty of Lawson's long jump/100/200 triple outdoors slightly outweigh Ches's indoor triple and outdoor double for me, though this is the first time King C will be evaluated for the Bowerman with zero NCAA Championship losses."
Like Gordon, I think Murphy should have been a finalist. The fact that Brazier was nominated instead says that the voters don't care at all about indoor track, which means that Lawson is the clear favorite to win.
| Men | Who Should Win | Who Will Win |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon | Clayton Murphy | Lawson |
| Meg | Cheserek | Lawson |
| Taylor | Lawson | Lawson |
| Adam | Cheserek | Lawson |
| Dennis | Lawson | Lawson |