Barringer Garners Another Athlete of the Year Honor

DENVER? Former University of Colorado cross country and track & field standout Jenny Barringer was named the recipient of Mile High Sports Magazine’s College Athlete of the Year for her accomplishments during the 2009 season.

Barringer had a year to remember, setting six NCAA records and seven CU records and was awarded several top honors in the process. In December, she won the inaugural USTFCCCA’s The Bowerman award, which recognizes annually the most outstanding collegiate male and female track & field athlete. Barringer was also named a finalist for the USATF’s Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year and was the only collegiate athlete in the field of five nominees. In June, she was named the recipient of the Honda Sports Award for track & field and was one of five finalists for the prestigious Honda Broderick Cup, which goes to the nation’s top collegiate female athlete of the year.

The native of Oviedo, Fla., won a trio of Big 12 titles in 2009 (indoor mile, steeplechase and cross country) and a pair of NCAA Championships (indoor 3k and the steeplechase). Barringer became the first Buff, male or female, to win three NCAA individual titles in the same event (three in the steeplechase) and the first female to win four NCAA crowns. Her mile time of 4:25.91 was the fastest run in the world during the 2009 season. On the track Barringer did not lose a single collegiate race in 2009 and was always the top American to cross the finish no matter where she raced (also in track).

The 2009 Big 12 Indoor Performer of the Year was also the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Female Track Athlete of the Year. Barringer won her second USA Track & Field steeplechase title in June and then raced to a fifth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in August; slashing 10 seconds off her personal and American record with a time of 9:12.50 to become the eighth fastest woman ever in the event.

One of the most decorated athletes to ever come out of CU, Barringer is a two-time CU Female Athlete of the Year honoree and was named the CU Athlete of the Week a school record 23 times. She is a 13-time All-Big 12 performer and was an All-American seven times (includes both cross country and track & field). Barringer represented the Buffs, as well as the U.S., at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and was the highest placing American in the steeplechase (ninth).

After the Olympics, Barringer turned down opportunities to go pro and even though she was still a collegiate athlete, she was racing against some of the top women in the world. Barringer treated a national audience on NBC to a runner-up finish at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic in the 1500-meter run. She was ranked 14out of 15 runners heading into the race (and was the only collegiate athlete in the field) and came from behind to run down Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka. Barringer was just .01 seconds off the winning time and became the third American woman to run a sub-four minute 1,500 in 3:59.90. Just over a month later, she won the 5k at the DN Galan Super Grand Prix in Stockholm, Sweden.

Barringer was a member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team (cross country and track & field), the Dean’s List, the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a 2008 and 09 Academic All-American. She owns a 3.7 GPA and graduated in December with a double-major in political science and economics. Barringer has also been recognized the past two years as a semi-finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award.

The steeplechase ace was not the only Buff considered for the award. Former soccer standout Nikki Marshall was one of the other four finalists. Marshall, who also graduated in December, finished her career as CU's all-time leader in scoring with 93 points and 42 goals. She was a four-time All-Big 12 pick and earned three all-region honors.

The other three finalist for the honor were Antje Maempel (University of Denver, skiing), Becca Mays (Metro State, soccer) and Kenzie Shreeve (Northern Colorado, volleyball).

Barringer’s NCAA Records:

Mile: 4:25.91

Indoor 3k: 8:42.03

Indoor 5k: 15:01.70

1500-meters: 3:59.90

Outdoor 5k: 15:07.64

Steeplechase: 9:25.54

Barringer’s CU records:

Mile: 4:25.91

Indoor 3k: 8:42.03

Indoor 5k: 15:01.70

Outdoor 800: 2:02.56