July 13, 2011
Congratulations to Tori Bowie for being named the C-USA Female Athlete of the Year. Bowie became the first NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Champion (male or female) in Southern Miss history. She is only the second C-USA student-athlete to win a national crown in the long jump.
The junior recorded a school-record and gold-medal performance of 21'9.50" (6.64m) on her fifth attempt in the NCAA finals to collect USTFCCCA All-America first-team honors. Prior to the national meet, the junior from Sand Hill, Miss., recorded a pair of silver-medal performances in the long and triple jumps at the 2011 C-USA Outdoor Championship, earning All-C-USA second-team honors.
Bowie became the third C-USA female athlete, and Southern Miss' first, to win a national indoor title at the 2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships. The All-American had a long jump leap of 21'4.75" (6.52m) on the opening day to capture the national crown. The 10 points scored at the national meet helped the Golden Eagle team finish in a tie for 13th overall and earn a No. 13 national ranking in the season-ending USTFCCCA Top 25 Poll. Bowie also claimed the long jump title at the C-USA Indoor Championship, besting the field by nine inches with a jump of 20'10.75" (6.37m), and finished second in the triple jump (41'10"/12.75m). She led the Lady Eagles to a 10th place finish at the NCAA Outdoor meet.
Bowie is one of only two C-USA female track & field student-athletes to win an indoor and outdoor national championship in the same academic year. She is the first Southern Miss athlete, male or female to be named C-USA Athlete of the Year since the joint awards were begun in the 2003-04 season.
We hope to see you Friday evening, July 15, at the 28th annual Jackson All-Star Party and Food Festival to be held at the Mississippi Trade Mart starting at 5:30 p.m. This event is always the kickoff party to the 2011-12 athletic year. Coaches, staff, student-athletes, cheerleaders and Seymour will be in attendance. Please join us for a fun filled event!
