BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas A&M University’s Tyra Gittens and Athing Mu have been named finalists for The Bowerman, according to an announcement Tuesday by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Gittens and Mu are among three female finalists chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board. Tara Davis of Texas is the other finalist. The male finalists will be announced Wednesday by the USTFCCCA.
Also named to the list of finalists was Tara Davis of Texas who swept the NCAA long jump indoor and out titles on her way to setting records throughout the campaign. She also captured the 100 hurdles at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
READ MORE: [Watch] Athing Mu Runs 1:57.73 At 2021 Michael Johnson Invitational
Gitten, Mu and Davis will all compete at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games which get underway on July 23.
The Bowerman is the highest honor bestowed to collegiate track and field’s most outstanding athletes of the year. An SEC female athlete has won the Bowerman each of the last two times the award was presented: Georgia’s Keturah Orji in 2018 and LSU’s Sha’Carri Richardson in 2019.
Gittens and Mu are the first pair of teammates to be named women’s finalists, and they are the 13th and 14th women from the SEC to be named Bowerman finalists.
Gittens was named the SEC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year after she won the SEC long jump and high jump titles earlier this year. She scored 23 points at the SEC Championships to claim the Cliff Harper Award with the most points since 2008. Gittens was also voted the SEC Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year by the league coaches. She was the SEC champion in the heptathlon and runner-up in the high jump.
Mu was voted SEC Women’s Indoor Runner of the Year and SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year. She won the SEC 800m title and set collegiate records in the 600m, 800m and 4x400m during the indoor season. Mu also earned SEC Women’s Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year honors. She took home the SEC crown in the 400m and helped her team win the 4×400 relay at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
Online fan voting for The Bowerman begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT. The Bowerman will be presented Dec. 17 at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.
