Olympic 800-meter gold medalist Mu becomes second female recipient from Texas A&M, joining Beard in 2011, and third in a row from SEC; two-time U.S. champion Harrison is first male selection from LSU, following women’s winners Richardson in 2019 and Duncan in 2012, giving conference six men’s trophies

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Todd Grasley

It was another Southeastern Conference sweep of the Bowerman awards Friday, as a pair of U.S. Olympians were honored with the highest recognition in college track and field when the ceremony returned to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.

Athing Mu, who achieved six collegiate records in her lone season at Texas A&M, and former LSU standout JuVaughn Harrison – the only athlete in NCAA Division 1 history to sweep indoor and outdoor high jump and long jump titles in the same year – were recognized, matching the SEC success achieved in 2019 by Florida’s Grant Holloway and LSU’s Sha’Carri Richardson.

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Mu followed her three NCAA Division 1 titles by winning the U.S. national championship in the 800, before becoming the first American women’s gold medalist in the event since 1968.

Harrison also swept both the high jump and long jump at the U.S. outdoor finals, before placing in the top seven in both events in his Olympic debut.

Mu joined 2011 winner Jessica Beard as the second female honoree from Texas A&M, with Harrison becoming the first male recipient from LSU, following women’s winners Richardson and Kimberlyn Duncan in 2012, representing the Tigers.

Mu is the third NCAA Division 1 800-meter champion to earn the award, joining former Oregon stars Laura Roesler (2014) and Raevyn Rogers (2017). She also joins 400-meter winners Courtney Okolo of Texas (2016) and Beard in being selected.

Harrison followed Florida State’s Ngoni Makusha (2011), Florida’s Marquis Dendy (2015), Arkansas’ Jarrion Lawson (2016) and Holloway among the men’s long jumpers to be recognized. He is only the second men’s high jumper to earn the Bowerman, along with Indiana’s Derek Drouin (2013).

He is the sixth male honoree from the SEC among the past seven recipients of the award. Mu became the third in a row from the SEC and fifth overall.

Mu prevailed against Texas A&M teammate Tyra Gittens, the Division 1 winner in the indoor high jump and pentathlon, as well as the outdoor heptathlon, in addition to former Texas standout Tara Davis, the collegiate record holder and NCAA champion in the indoor and outdoor long jump.

Harrison triumphed against finalists Cole Hocker of Oregon, who won the outdoor 1,500-meter crown, in addition to the indoor mile and 3,000, along with Turner Washington of Arizona State, who swept the indoor and outdoor shot put titles, plus the discus throw championship in June.