New Orleans – The Bowerman Advisory Board announced on Thursday the three women’s finalists for The Bowerman, an award which will recognize annually the most outstanding collegiate women’s track and field athlete. Texas A&M sprinter Porscha Lucas is one the three athletes named as a finalist, along with Texas high jumper Destinee Hooker and Colorado distance runner Jennifer Barringer.

“This honor is now the most prestigious award given to a collegiate track and field athlete,” Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry said. “Porscha Lucas is very deserving and we are extremely pleased with her nomination.”

The three Big 12 athletes each had impressive campaigns in 2009 and were selected by a 10-member Bowerman Advisory Board, which is comprised of NCAA collegiate administrators, national and regional media personnel, and track & field statisticians. The Bowerman is administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

“I would like to thank the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for having the foresight to create such a prestigious award for collegiate track & field athletes. The Bowerman is an excellent way to recognize the talented young men and women who participate in track & field, as well as to honor one of the all-time great track & field coaches, Bill Bowerman,” said Herman Frazier, Chairman of the Bowerman Advisory Board and Senior Associate Athletic Director at Temple University.

Lucas, a native of Plano, Texas, joined elite company this past season when she earned individual, relay and team national championships during the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Lucas won the 200 meters for her individual title and ran the second leg of the Aggies 4 x 100 relay that broke a 20-year-old collegiate record in winning the sprint relay with a then world-leading time of 42.36 seconds. It was the third consecutive year for Lucas to be a part of a NCAA title in the 4 x 100 at Texas A&M.

In addition to winning the 200 and sprint relay, Lucas also placed fourth in the NCAA 100 meters to total 17.5 points towards the 50 scored by the Aggies in winning the program’s first-ever national team title. She was honored as the USTFCCCA Women’s Division I Outdoor South Central Region Track Athlete of the Year.

During the indoor season Lucas earned another national title as a member of Texas A&M’s 4 x 400 relay while finishing second in the 100 and eighth in the 60 meters. The Aggie women finished just five points behind Tennessee for the NCAA Indoor team title.

For the 2009 campaign Lucas totaled six All-America honors, bringing her career total through three collegiate seasons to a tally of 15, a school record for the program, male or female.

Hooker won the high jump at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor meets, establishing a collegiate record at A&M’s Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium with her winning height of 6-6. Barringer set collegiate records in three outdoor distance events – 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 3,000 steeplechase – as well as three indoor distance events – mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters – during the 2009 season. She won NCAA titles in the 3,000 indoors and the steeplechase outdoors.

The 2009 announcement and presentation of The Bowerman will be held on December 16th in conjunction with the 2009 USTFCCCA Convention at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. The three women’s finalists will be invited to the announcement and presentation of The Bowerman.

The Bowerman is named in honor of track and field pioneer Bill Bowerman, who served the sport of track and field in numerous ways, including his leadership in the USTFCCCA predecessor organization the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole.

A ballot consisting of the three finalists will be sent in early November to The Bowerman Voters who will rank their selections for The Bowerman. Fans and USTFCCCA members will also be able to vote online as part of the national voting process. The website can be found via www.ustfccca.org.

An independent firm will collect and tabulate the votes to determine the women’s 2009 winner of The Bowerman.