Jeshua Anderson joins Makusha of Florida St & Taylor of Florida as Bowerman finalists...

NEW ORLEANS – The Bowerman Advisory Board in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday the three male finalists for the highest honor given to collegiate track & field student-athletes – The Bowerman.

Representing the best in collegiate track & field during the 2011 seasons, the finalists are Washington State senior Jeshua Anderson (left/photo by Mike Scott), Florida State junior Ngoni Makusha, and Florida junior Christian Taylor.

Finalists were chosen by the ten-person Bowerman Advisory Board based on performances recorded during the indoor and outdoor 2011 track & field seasons. Only performances through the conclusion of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are used in consideration.

Anderson, who won both the NCAA and the USA titles in the 400 hurdles, will make his Samsung Diamond League debut on July 22nd at the Herculis meeting in Monaco.

The award, in its third year of existence, will be presented in a ceremony at the USTFCCCA Convention on December 14 at the JW Marriott Hill Country, San Antonio, Texas. John Anderson, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and co-host of ABC’s Wipeout, will host the evening’s festivities for the second-straight year.

The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. Oregon’s Ashton Eaton and Virginia Tech’s Queen Harrison are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA and Washington State University contributed to this report. paulmerca.blogspot.com editor and publisher Paul Merca is an official national media voter of The Bowerman.