Hooker named finalist for 2009 USTFCCCA Bowerman Award
Oct. 8, 2009
NEW ORLEANS -- University of Texas senior high jumper Destinee Hooker has been selected as one of three finalists for the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association's (USTFCCCA) inaugural Bowerman Award. The honor, given out annually, will recognize the most outstanding collegiate women's track and field athlete. All three of the 2009 finalists are from the Big 12 Conference, as Hooker is joined by Colorado's Jenny Barringer and Texas A&M's Porscha Lucas. The three finalists were selected by the 10-member Bowerman Advisory Board, which is comprised of NCAA collegiate administrators, national and regional media personnel and track & field statisticians. The 2009 Bowerman winner will be announced on December 16th at the USTFCCCA Convention in Orlando, Fla. Throughout the 2009 season, Hooker swept the NCAA and Big 12 high jump titles while winning 10 of 11 events she competed in. In her first collegiate meet since 2007, Hooker cleared a nation-leading height of 6-3.25 (1.91m). She held the nation's top spot throughout the season leading into the Big 12 Championship, where she set a meet record with a jump of 6-4 for her third Big 12 indoor title. Hooker then went on to clear 6-6 (1.98m) for her first career NCAA Indoor high jump title, breaking a nine-year old NCAA indoor collegiate record and an 11-year old Texas record. Following her indoor campaign, Hooker was honored as the USTFCCCA Division I Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year. She carried her momentum to the outdoor season and again opened with a nation-leading height of 6-3.25 (1.91m). Hooker completed her sweep of the Big 12 high jump titles with an outdoor personal-best clearance of 6-4.75 (1.95m). She became just the second Big 12 female high jumper to win three outdoor and three indoor crowns since Erin Aldrich (Texas, 1998-2001). Hooker also was victorious at the NCAA Midwest Regional (6-3.25, 1.91m) and was named the USTFCCCA South Central Field Athlete of the Year. In clearing 6-4.75 (1.95m) to win the NCAA Outdoor title, Hooker became just the second female in NCAA history to three-peat in the outdoor event, joining Arizona's Tanya Hughes who accomplished the feat from 1991-93.
The senior continued to add to her resume after the collegiate season ended when she was named the 2009 Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Hooker is also a three-time All-American with the second-ranked Texas Volleyball team. |
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