Washington Named USTFCCCA West Region Field Athlete of the Year, Placed on The Bowerman Watch List
Past USTFCCCA Collegiate National Athletes of the Year | 2020-21 Awards and Honors For Sun Devil Athletics | USTFCCCA Release
TEMPE - Turner Washington earned the Field Athlete of the Year award for the West Region, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced today. Washington has also earned a spot on The Bowerman watch list. The redshirt junior set a new NCAA indoor record in the shot put on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Texas Tech Shootout in Lubbock, Texas, and has thrown over 21 meters (68-10 ¾) six times this season.
Washington is the first ASU athlete to claim a USFTCCCA regional honor since Maggie Ewen (shot put) won back-to-back outdoor Field Athlete of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018. He's the first male to win the award for the indoor season since Ryan Whiting in 2008. Whiting went on to earn the honor for his outdoor performances in 2010.
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The Tucson native kicked off the 2021 season by breaking the meet and facility records at the Texas Tech Invitational on Jan. 30 when he threw 20.94m/68-8.5 feet on his final attempt. That throw would move Washington to second all-time at ASU. That wouldn't last long. On Feb. 13, Washington threw 21.85m/71-8.25 feet on his final attempt, setting a new NCAA record, passing Payton Otterdahl of North Dakota State who threw 21.81m/71-6.75 feet in 2019. Washington moved up to No. 1 on the ASU top-10 indoor list for the shot put, passing Olympian Ryan Whiting's 21.73m throw from 2008.
Turner Washington will compete against the nation's best next week at the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Turner is ranked No. 1 going into the event just in front of 2019 outdoor national champion Tripp Piperi from the University of Texas.
The accolades just keep coming in ?? https://t.co/aZu8wtanBc pic.twitter.com/LmRPBiiLWW
— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) March 4, 2021
Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season were announced on Thursday by the USTFCCCA. Each of the nine regions – Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain, Northeast, South, South Central, Southeast and West – honored both genders' top track athletes and field athletes as well as the top men's and women's head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards. The association's full release can be read here.
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation. For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.