NEW ORLEANS – Junior Ryan Crouser and sophomore Johannes Hock were named to the men’s preseason watch list for The Bowerman, an award presented annually by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) to both the most outstanding male and female collegiate athletes in the nation.
Crouser and Hock, among 10 on the preseason list, are the defending national outdoor champions and they were both on the final 2013 regular season watch list for The Bowerman, with Crouser earning a spot as a semifinalist.
A five time All-American, Crouser won the 2013 NCAA outdoor title in the shot put with a throw of 66 feet, 7 3/4 inches (20.31m). He also placed eighth in the discus at nationals. The native of Boring, Ore., set a new personal best and school record in the shot put with a toss 69-2.50 (21.09m) en route to the title at the 2013 Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
Hock had a dynamic first year in Austin. He started off 2013 by winning the Big 12 heptathlon crown and went on to finish sixth in the event at the NCAA indoor meet. He then set a meet record in the decathlon at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, leading from start to finish in registering 8,293 points.
The native of Cologne, Germany, capped off 2013 by winning the decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor meet, totaling 8,267 points. He became just the second freshman in NCAA history (also Tito Steiner of BYU, 1977) to win the decathlon crown.
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.
Crouser, Hock and the rest of the Longhorns open the 2014 indoor season on Friday, Jan. 17 with a dual meet at Arkansas.
