Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Noelle, Miller on Bowerman Watch List
January 12, 2016 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
NEW ORLEANS – For the first time since 2009, Oklahoma State is represented on the Bowerman Award preseason watch list as Cowboy seniors Chad Noelle and Nick Miller have both received a spot on the prestigious list of 10, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Thursday.
"It's really exciting for our program to have two guys on the list," coach Dave Smith said. "Both of them are among the best athletes in the NCAA, so it's good to see them recognized. They've worked extremely hard since arriving at OSU to get to the level they're on."
The Bowerman is awarded each year to the top male collegiate athlete and to the top female collegiate athlete in the sport of NCAA track & field. The male finalist with the highest point total after the tabulation of ballots, fan voting, and USTFCCCA member voting is declared the men's winner of The Bowerman.
With Noelle and Miller representing the Pokes on the list, OSU joins Oregon as the only programs with more than one nominated male athlete.
Back in 2014, Miller was a late season addition to the watch list during the outdoor season, but did not receive votes to start the year and did not make the list of three finalists.
Miller is fresh off a summer of international competition that included European and national titles.
The six-time All-American and six-time Big 12 champion won the Under-23 European hammer throw title in mid-July before taking gold in the British hammer throw championship with a then personal best of 75.88m. He went on to represent his nation at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. Miller made the final, and finished 11th, but qualified for the competition with a personal best 77.42m throw, which was good enough for the 14th best throw in the world in 2015.
After redshirting last outdoor season to focus on international competition, Miller will be back with the Cowboys this upcoming outdoor season looking to secure his first NCAA title. At his last outdoor championships in 2014, Miller just missed out on 10 points when he finished second with a throw of 72.40m, a little more than a meter short of the champion.
Miller holds OSU's hammer and weight throw records and has widened the gap between the No. 2 throws in each season of competition.
Noelle earned the nomination after completing one of the most successful seasons in OSU history during his senior outdoor campaign. The middle-distance specialist swept his way into the NCAA Championships, then became just the 10th Cowboy in school history to win a national title. Noelle's 3:54.96 in the 1,500-meter championship race was enough to make him the first Cowboy national champion since German Fernandez took the same crown in 2009.
His successful 2015 season started indoors where he won two Big 12 indoor titles on his way to scoring 23 points for the Cowboys at the conference championships. Noelle entered the season with the school record in the 1,000-meter run, but performed his way onto two more lists, running the 10th-fastest 3,000-meter run (7:56.76) and second-best mile (3:57.78) in Cowboy history.
Noelle's outdoor eligibility is out, so he will not be able to defend his 1,500-meter title, but with one indoor season left to go, the four-time All-American and four-time Big 12 champion is still considered one of the premier middle-distance runners in collegiate track and field. He is one of two middle-distance runners to be named to the Bowerman preseason watch list.
Noelle and the Cowboys have already started the indoor season and their next meet is scheduled for Jan. 15, in College Station, Texas. To keep up with Miller and Noelle's Bowerman campaign, follow @run4okstate on Twitter and Instagram, and visit okstate.com.
Bowerman Preseason Watch List
Devon Allen, Oregon
Ronnie Baker, TCU
Jake Blankenship, Tennessee
Edward Cheserek, Oregon
Najee Glass, Florida
Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas
Brandon McBride, Mississippi State
Nick Miller, Oklahoma State
Chad Noelle, Oklahoma State
Maicel Uibo, Georgia
Receiving votes: Ryan Crouser (Texas); Grant Fisher (Stanford); Sam Mattis (Penn)
"It's really exciting for our program to have two guys on the list," coach Dave Smith said. "Both of them are among the best athletes in the NCAA, so it's good to see them recognized. They've worked extremely hard since arriving at OSU to get to the level they're on."
The Bowerman is awarded each year to the top male collegiate athlete and to the top female collegiate athlete in the sport of NCAA track & field. The male finalist with the highest point total after the tabulation of ballots, fan voting, and USTFCCCA member voting is declared the men's winner of The Bowerman.
With Noelle and Miller representing the Pokes on the list, OSU joins Oregon as the only programs with more than one nominated male athlete.
Back in 2014, Miller was a late season addition to the watch list during the outdoor season, but did not receive votes to start the year and did not make the list of three finalists.
Miller is fresh off a summer of international competition that included European and national titles.
The six-time All-American and six-time Big 12 champion won the Under-23 European hammer throw title in mid-July before taking gold in the British hammer throw championship with a then personal best of 75.88m. He went on to represent his nation at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. Miller made the final, and finished 11th, but qualified for the competition with a personal best 77.42m throw, which was good enough for the 14th best throw in the world in 2015.
After redshirting last outdoor season to focus on international competition, Miller will be back with the Cowboys this upcoming outdoor season looking to secure his first NCAA title. At his last outdoor championships in 2014, Miller just missed out on 10 points when he finished second with a throw of 72.40m, a little more than a meter short of the champion.
Miller holds OSU's hammer and weight throw records and has widened the gap between the No. 2 throws in each season of competition.
Noelle earned the nomination after completing one of the most successful seasons in OSU history during his senior outdoor campaign. The middle-distance specialist swept his way into the NCAA Championships, then became just the 10th Cowboy in school history to win a national title. Noelle's 3:54.96 in the 1,500-meter championship race was enough to make him the first Cowboy national champion since German Fernandez took the same crown in 2009.
His successful 2015 season started indoors where he won two Big 12 indoor titles on his way to scoring 23 points for the Cowboys at the conference championships. Noelle entered the season with the school record in the 1,000-meter run, but performed his way onto two more lists, running the 10th-fastest 3,000-meter run (7:56.76) and second-best mile (3:57.78) in Cowboy history.
Noelle's outdoor eligibility is out, so he will not be able to defend his 1,500-meter title, but with one indoor season left to go, the four-time All-American and four-time Big 12 champion is still considered one of the premier middle-distance runners in collegiate track and field. He is one of two middle-distance runners to be named to the Bowerman preseason watch list.
Noelle and the Cowboys have already started the indoor season and their next meet is scheduled for Jan. 15, in College Station, Texas. To keep up with Miller and Noelle's Bowerman campaign, follow @run4okstate on Twitter and Instagram, and visit okstate.com.
Bowerman Preseason Watch List
Devon Allen, Oregon
Ronnie Baker, TCU
Jake Blankenship, Tennessee
Edward Cheserek, Oregon
Najee Glass, Florida
Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas
Brandon McBride, Mississippi State
Nick Miller, Oklahoma State
Chad Noelle, Oklahoma State
Maicel Uibo, Georgia
Receiving votes: Ryan Crouser (Texas); Grant Fisher (Stanford); Sam Mattis (Penn)
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
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Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
