For the second consecutive year Oregon has two athletes named as finalists for The Bowerman Trophy, which is awarded to the top male and female track and field competitors in the nation.
Junior Edward Cheserek and former teammate Jenna Prandini will both wait to see if their names are announced as the winner during the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association convention on Thursday night.
Prandini decided to forgo her senior year in Eugene to turn pro, capping a fantastic final season as a Duck. She was the most prolific NCAA Championship point-scorer in 2015, totaling 49 points between the indoor and outdoor Championships. At indoors she won the long jump, finished second at 200 meters and fourth at 60 meters. In outdoors she won the 100 and was second in both the 200 and long jump. Prandini’s 100 meter time was the second-fastest in collegiate history (10.92) and her 200 outdoor time was the fourth-fastest (22.21).
Cheserek finished 2015 with four individual NCAA titles, including the mile at the indoor meet and the 5000 and 10,000 in the outdoor competition. Cheserek turned in three sub-four-minute miles during the indoor season, with two at the NCAA Indoor Championships and the other setting a new school record time of 3:56.43 at the Millrose Games. His efforts helped the Duck men sweep the indoor and outdoor national titles this season.
Oregon has seen nine finalists and three winners since the creation of The Bowerman Trophy in 2009. That is the most of any other college in the country. Galen Rupp, Ashton Eaton and Laura Roesler are the Duck athletes who have brought the trophy back to Tracktown, USA.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, with the presentation set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur