Rupp, Yurkovich Honored at Track and Field Banquet
EUGENE, Ore. -- Galen Rupp, Rachel Yurkovich and Ron Perkins were among the honorees at the 2009 Oregon track and field/cross country banquet, held Saturday afternoon at Autzen Stadium.
Rupp, a four-time NCAA champion in 2008-09, was named both the Bill Dellinger Cross Country Award winner and the Bill Bowerman Award winner for outstanding career achievement in track and field. Rupp won the 2008 NCAA cross country title and the 2009 NCAA indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meter championships, in addition to running the anchor leg on the Ducks’ NCAA champion distance medley relay team.
Yurkovich, the defending NCAA champion in the javelin and a four-time Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional winner, was also honored with the Bowerman Award for outstanding career achievement.
Also on Saturday, long-time Hayward Field facilities manager Ron Perkins was selected as the University of Oregon Track and Field Hall of Fame Award winner for his enduring contributions to the program. Perkins, a former thrower for the Men of Oregon, has worked for the University maintaining as one of the nation’s top track and field venues for 28 years.
The Mary Officer Award, honoring a top female student-athlete, went to Pac-10 heptathlon champion Brianne Theisen, while Pac-10 decathlon champ Ashton Eaton and 800 meter winner Andrew Wheating won the men’s counterpart, the Harry Ritchie Jewelers Award.
The George Scharpf Outstanding Athlete Award went to a pair of men’s Pac-10 champions, Matthew Centrowitz (1,500 meters) and Cyrus Hostetler (javelin).
The Lynne Winbigler Performer of the Year also was also shared by a pair of Pac-10 women’s champions Keshia Baker, who won her second-straight 400 meters title, and Jamesha Youngblood, a double-winner in the long jump and triple jump.
The women’s Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers Inspirational Award went to Pac-10 pole vault champion Melissa Gergel, and redshirt senior Kalindra McFadden, the only fifth-year competitor in the women’s program, who PR’d to take second in the heptathlon at the Pac-10 championships.
For the men, the Dow Wilson Inspirational Award went to a pair of key performers from the Pac-10 meet, Chad Barlow, who scored in the 400 meters and both relays, and Marshall Ackley, who was the runner-up in the decathlon and also scored in the 400 meter hurdles.
All-American Alexandra Kosinski won the Tom Heinonen Women’s Cross Country Award.
Cited for the Coaches Award, given to recognize athletic achievement, dedication and determination, were Lucy Cridland, the Pac-10 runner-up in the discus who will be making her first NCAA Championships appearance, Nicole Blood, a three-time All-American in 2008-09 and Shadrack Biwott, a cross country All-American and the runner-up in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the 2009 Pac-10 championships.
The Perry Holloman Newcomer of the Year awards went to Pac-10 cross country freshman of the year Luke Puskedra for the men, and Amber Purvis, who set seven indoor and outdoor school records as a freshman, for the women.
