Raevyn Rogers Wins The Bowerman In 2017

By Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA December 15, 2017   

PHOENIX – Raevyn Rogers prides herself in being one of a kind.

She probably won’t mind being one of this select few.

Rogers won The Bowerman on Friday night at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa during the 2017 USTFCCCA Convention and became the third Woman of Oregon in the past four years to take home collegiate track & field’s highest honor. She joined Laura Roesler (2014) and Jenna Prandini (2015) in that regard.

Like she did throughout her collegiate career, Rogers beat talented competition.

This batch of women’s finalists was the most accomplished in the history of the award as never before had all three women broke collegiate records in the same season. Rogers lowered the outdoor 800-meter mark and chipped in on several record-breaking relays, Maggie Ewen demolished a 10-year-old standard in the hammer, while Keturah Orjimatched her American and collegiate outdoor records with the indoor versions.

It was during the outdoor season, though, where Rogers really distanced herself from the pack, just like when she hits 200 meters to go in the 800.

After winning the indoor half-mile title and helping the Ducks to a collegiate indoor record in the distance medley relay earlier in the season, Rogers earned the collegiate record she coveted in the narrowest way possible. Rogers clocked a time of 1:59.10 in the outdoor 800 at the Mt. SAC Relays, which squeaked past the old mark of 1:59.11 set by Suzy Favor in 1990.

A few months later at the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Rogers capped her collegiate career in a way fit for a queen. After all, her Twitter handle is @TheRoyalLife21.

Rogers completed yet another indoor-outdoor sweep in the 800 and anchored Oregon to a thrilling record-setting victory in the 4×400. Thanks to Rogers’ gutsy anchor leg in the relay, the Ducks put the finishing touches on the first Triple Crown in NCAA Division I women’s history. Never before had a women’s team won the cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field titles in the same academic year.