UTEP�s Korir Named to The Bowerman Watch List

Emmanuel Korir was named to The Bowerman Watch List for the third time this outdoor season announced by the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) on Monday night.

Korir gives UTEP its 17th Watch List mention in program history – which is the seventh most by a men’s program in Watch List history. The freshman caught the nation’s attention when he clocked a time of 44.78 in the 400m on April 22 at the UTEP Invitational.

Less than one week later, Korir challenged Donavan Brazier’s year-old collegiate record at 800m. The Kenya native negative split the race at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge in Berkley, California, and crossed the finish line in 1:43.73 (Brazier’s mark stands at 1:43.55).

Korir is just one of three athletes in the world to ever run a sub-45 over 400m and sub-1:44 over 800m. In his first collegiate season, Korir holds school records in both the indoor (1:46.50) and outdoor (1:43.73) in the 800m and the outdoor 400m with at time of 44.53.

Korir won gold at the Conference USA Championships in the 400m (44.53) and helped the 4x400m relay team to a second place finish with a time of 3:06.94. The mid-distance runner carried his momentum into the West Region Preliminaries by earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in the 800m by winning his heat and setting a meet record with a time of 1:45.88. Korir anchord the 4x400m relay with a split time of 43.34 and helped the Miners to a second place finish in their heat, earning the team an automatic bid to the national stage.

The next Bowerman Watch List update will come on June 15 where 10 athletes will be cut down to four as the semifinalists. One week later, the winner will be announced in Phoenix, Ariz., at the annual USTFCCCA Convention.

Seven Miners and one relay team will make the trek to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Championships starting June 7-10. You can watch the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships live on the ESPN family of networks. Both the final day of the men’s championship and women’s championship will be aired in prime time on ESPN.

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