University of Tennessee Athletics
Bowman Named Lady Vol Athlete of the Week
September 24, 2007 | Women's Cross Country
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- For her performance at the Bulldog Stampede on Saturday morning, University of Tennessee women???s cross country standout Sarah Bowman was named Lady Vol Athlete of the Week on Monday. Bowman got the nod over soccer nominee Emily Redberg and volleyball candidate Leah Hinkey in a vote by the UT Women???s Media Relations staff.
Bowman gained the accolades by finishing first among collegiate performers and second overall at the University of Georgia???s Bulldog Stampede in Athens, Ga.?? Her career-best time of 17 minutes, 37.45 seconds for 5,000 meters was the best by a Southeastern Conference performer at that distance thus far during the 2007 season.?? At the Stampede, Bowman finished only three seconds back of post-collegiate runner Jill Steffens of New Balance and was 23 seconds ahead of the nearest university-level competitor.
The two-time All-SEC honoree helped a limited Tennessee squad place second in the team standings behind 13th-ranked Georgia. Despite running with only five competitors, and with three of the team???s better runners not in the lineup Saturday, the No. 26 Lady Vols improved their season record to 22-1, including 3-1 vs. SEC foes.
Bowman has been the top collegiate runner in all three races she has participated in this season and has led the Lady Vols to the finish line six times during her career.?? She won the Belmont Opener on Aug. 31 and was second overall at the Bulldog Stampede.?? On Sept.14, she ran what would have been a personal best in winning the Tennessee Invitational, but that meet was declared unofficial due to the fact there were no other complete teams entered in the field.
Resuming their normal schedule this weekend, Bowman and company will travel to Bethlehem, Pa., to compete in Lehigh University???s Paul Short Run at 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.?? The event will be UT???s first 6,000-meter jaunt of the season, and the distance will be the same for the remainder of the Big Orange???s races in 2007.
