Drouin, Bayer could win national award

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association added IU men’s track standouts Derek Drouin and Andy Bayer to the initial Bowerman preseason watch list last week.  

Each year, the association honors one male and one female athlete with The Bowerman, the highest award for collegiate track and field.

Drouin, a senior, is a three-time NCAA high jump champion and two-time runner-up in his career as a Hoosier.

These accomplishments, along with the Olympic bronze medal he won in London, are the main reasons he was added to the watch list.

This isn’t the only praise Drouin has received recently. In December, Athletics Canada awarded Drouin the Cal D. Bricker Memorial Trophy for outstanding performance of the year and the F.N.A. Rowell Trophy for outstanding athlete of the year in field events.

While Bayer was not on the official watch list for The Bowerman, he was one of six athletes who received mention from the Bowerman committee. He is the 2012 NCAA 1500m champion and has two second-place and two third-place NCAA finishes, as well.

IU is the only school with more than one considered athlete. The only other Big Ten male mentioned in the release was Nebraska junior Chad Wright, who received a mention.

IU Coach Ron Helmer said he was proud of his two athletes and, though he said he was not surprised they were both recognized, it is rare that two teammates were on The Bowerman Watch List.

“It is very unusual to have two athletes from the same team given this consideration, and we and they do not take this for granted,” Helmer said in a press release. “It only gets more difficult, but champions, such as these two, derive their motivation from being challenged at this level and in this manner.”

Helmer said, despite the award, he wants to see continued improvement from his two stars.

“The challenge going forward for Derek and Andy, plus our coaching staff, is to facilitate continued growth and improve on their remarkable careers,” Helmer said. “We continue to be very proud to be represented by these two outstanding young men.”

The Bowerman award, which debuted in 2009, is named after legendary University of Oregon track coach and Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman.