Cowart '09 Heads to USA Championships

Men's Cross Country VMIKeydets.com

Cowart Nabs All-American Honors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? VMI distance runner Donnie Cowart has been tabbed an All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), as announced by that organization Saturday.

With the award, which was earned in Friday's event finals when Cowart finished 12th overall, the fifth-year senior becomes VMI's first track and field All-American since 2004, and the first Keydet athlete to earn the honor in an outdoor setting in some 20 years. USTFCCCA All-American honors are given to the top eight American-born athletes in each event at the NCAA Championships, along with any foreign-born competitor who places among the top eight finishers overall. Cowart's 8:54.93 time Friday evening made him the eighth-highest finisher among U.S.-born runners in the event, narrowly allowing him to capture the coveted All-American status.

Cowart has had an outstanding final collegiate campaign, highlighted by this award and his performance Wednesday evening in the preliminary round, when he broke a 31-year-old VMI record by more than five seconds to advance to the event finals. He also had a strong indoor campaign, which included a new VMI record in the mile run, as well as a top-five finish in that event at the IC4A Championships in March.

He then followed that with an impressive start to the outdoor season, including briefly being ranked in the top-10 in the country in the steeplechase. He won both that race and the 1,500-meters at the Duke Invitational, and also posted an IC4A qualifying time in the 800-meters during the outdoor season.

Cowart then prevailed in the steeplechase at April's Big South Championships in Radford, Va., a win which marked his first career individual conference title. At that meet, he also finished third in the 800-meters, second in the 1,500, and sixth in the meet-ending 5,000-meter run. Shifting his focus exclusively to the steeplechase, Cowart then placed fifth at the Penn Relays, where he posted his then-career-best effort, and he came home seventh at the IC4A meet. Finally, he placed fourth in May 30's East Regional competition, paving his way to the national meet.

Cowart is scheduled to return to action at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, being held June 25-28 in Eugene, Ore. That event is the qualifying meet for the 2009 World Championships.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Donnie Cowart

Donnie Cowart

Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Donnie Cowart

Donnie Cowart

Redshirt Senior