Jenny Barringer, who is completing her eligibility at Colorado this month, was named the Honda Sports Award winner for college women’s track and field today in a voting of NCAA member institutions.
Barringer won the vote over three other nominees: Tennessee senior Sarah Bowman, Michigan senior Tiffany Ofili and Texas-El Paso junior Blessing Okagbare.
“This is an exciting time to be a part of women’s collegiate athletics, and to receive this award means a great deal to me,” Barringer said in a news release.
After earning a ninth-place finish in the steeplechase at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the native Floridian completed her college career in recordbreaking fashion. She won the mile at the Big 12 Conference indoor championships with a time of 4:25.91, breaking an NCAA indoor mark that had stood since 1988. That time also was the fastest in the world.
Her top highlight during the outdoor college season has been running the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:26.20 at an NCAA regional meet — the fastest time ever on American soil.
A political science and economics major, Barringer is scheduled to graduate in December.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
