June 23, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior hurdler Johnny Dutch has been named as one of 10 candidates for The Bowerman as announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Bowerman is awarded each year to the top male collegiate athlete in the sport of NCAA track & field and is named after legendary coach Bill Bowerman, who coached track & field at the University of Oregon from 1949-72 and co-founded Nike.

The group of 10 will be narrowed to three men by the 10-member Bowerman Advisory Board in the coming weeks, with the finalists to be announced on July 12. Once the three finalists are set, The Bowerman Voters, a group of around 100, consisting of national and regional media personnel, track & field statisticians, NCAA collegiate administrators, and Presidents of affiliated organizations will make their selections. Previous winners Galen Rupp and Jenny Barringer will also receive one vote. Once tabulations are calculated, award winners will be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention, held December 13-16 in San Antonio, Texas.

Dutch capped a stellar junior season for the Gamecocks by winning the 400-meter hurdle title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to cap an undefeated season in the event. The title was his first career national title and the first intermediate hurdle title in a storied South Carolina hurdle program.

Overall, Dutch claimed four All-America honors during the 2010 season. He was the only male athlete to earn All-America citations in all three hurdle events (60-meter hurdles indoor, 110-meter hurdle outdoor, 400-meter hurdles outdoor), and also ran a leg of the 4×400-meter relay. Dutch ran the fourth-fastest time in the world this year and moved to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list when he ran 48.12 at the NCAA Preliminary Round. He collected a total of five medals in the 2010 season after grabbing three SEC Bronze medals (60-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles, 4×400-meter relay), an SEC gold medal (400-meter hurdles) and an NCAA gold medal (400-meter hurdles).

Joining Dutch on The Bowerman candidate list are: Sam Chelanga of Liberty, Jeff Demps of Florida, Ashton Eaton of Oregon, Walter Henning of LSU, Kirani James of Alabama, David McNeill of Northern Arizona, Christian Taylor of Florida, Andrew Wheating of Oregon and Ryan Whiting of Arizona State.

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