Oregon's Raevyn Rogers Captures 2017 Bowerman Award
Former Duck Secures Collegiate Track & Field's Top Honor, Adds to Record Haul for Oregon and Pac-12
SAN FRANCISCO - OREGON middle-distance standout Raevyn Rogers earned the 2017 Bowerman Award as collegiate track & field's top female athlete on Friday. Rogers is the third UO woman to win the honor in the past four years.
Rogers edged fellow Pac-12 finalist Maggie Ewen from ARIZONA STATE and Georgia's Keturah Orji for the honor.
The Oregon track & field program now has the most women's recipients (three) and overall winners (five) since the Bowerman was first awarded in 2009.
Additionally, current members of the Pac-12 have totaled a national-best four women's recipients and six total winners.
Rogers played an integral and deciding role on the most dominant team in the sport's history in 2016-17. The USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year won her third consecutive NCAA title in the 800-meter run (2:00.02) and anchored the victorious and collegiate-record setting 400-meter relay (3:23.13) which secured Oregon the first-ever NCAA Division I Triple Crown - national titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field.
Prior to that fitting conclusion to her collegiate career, Rogers extended her dominance in the 800 - claiming her third consecutive Pac-12 title and an NCAA Indoor national championship as well as breaking a 27-year-old collegiate record in the event at the Mt. SAC Relays (1:59.10). Additionally, Rogers helped the Ducks set a meet record in the 4x400 at the Penn Relays, and a new collegiate mark in the DMR (10:48.80) set at the Columbia EastWest Challenge.
At the conclusion of the season, Rogers elected to forgo her final year of eligibility and turn professional, wrapping her three-year career as an eight-time All-American and six-time NCAA champion.
Rogers had strong competition from Ewen, who posted one of the finest throwing seasons in collegiate history in 2016-17.
The Sun Devil swept all major outdoor field awards during her breakout junior season as she was named USTFCCCA National and West Region Field Athlete of the Year as well as the Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Year. She won a trio of throwing events (shot put, discus, hammer) at the 2017 Pac-12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, becoming just the second woman to accomplish the feat, which included a new Conference record in the hammer (70.20 meters). Her 30-point effort earned her Pac-12 Championship Athlete of the Meet honors.
Ewen then went on to finish as an NCAA Outdoor All-American in all three events, this time breaking the collegiate record in the hammer (73.32m) while placing second in the discus and sixth in the shot put. Her 21 points scored were the most of any individual at the NCAA Championships.
Combined with first-team finishes in the shot put and weight throw at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, Ewen amassed five All-America honors. She will look to expand upon those accolades as a senior in the upcoming 2017-18 season.
The Bowerman Award winners from current Pac-12 Conference members
2009 - Jenny Barringer, Colorado; Galen Rupp, Oregon
2010 - Ashton Eaton, Oregon
2014 - Laura Roesler, Oregon
2015 - Jenna Prandini, Oregon
2017 - Raevyn Rogers, Oregon