Congratulations to former Winfield High School track standout Trey Cunningham. The Florida State hurdler was named the 2022 Bowerman Award Recipient as the nation's top Collegiate track athlete of 2022. It is a great honor for the AHSAA and the State of Alabama and we all should be beaming with pride tonight. It is particularly important to note that last year's Bowerman Award recipient was another former AHSAA student-athlete, high jumper JuVaughn Harrison, who competed at Columbia High School in Huntsville and attended LSU. Two straight years a former AHSAA student-athlete has won this prestigious honor. Both won multiple NCAA national championships in their events and proved to be among the world's greatest athletes on the world stage. Just as important is that both Trey and JuVaughn have represented themselves, their schools, their families and their state with dignity and pride on and off the field. One of the first people Trey thanked for believing in him - after his parents and college coach - was his high school coach at Winfield Steve Reaves. We are indeed proud of Trey and JuVaughn and proud of the track and field program in the AHSAA at all our schools. The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman and is to college track what the Heisman Trophy is to college football, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation. Past winners include two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp (2009), Olympic gold medalist and 2013 100-meter hurdles World Champion Brianna Rollins (2013), Olympic bronze medalist and 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters Jenny Simpson (2009) as well as two-time Olympic medalist in the high jump and 2015 World Champion Derek Drouin (2013).
Bill Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership as president of the USTFCCCA's predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.