Butler's Baker, Milwaukee's Nearman tabbed Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year

June 25, 2008

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INDIANAPOLIS - Junior distance runner Andy Baker of Butler University and junior distance runner Holly Nearman of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee were selected as the Horizon League's 2008 Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year as voted upon by the League's head coaches, the League office announced Wednesday (June 25).

Baker (Minehead, United Kingdom) was the lone Horizon League track and field athlete to advance to the recent NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, where he placed 13th in the second heat of the men's 5,000-meter preliminaries with a time of 15:05.76.

At the Horizon League Championships, Baker placed second in the 1,500 (3:55.60) and 5,000 (14:45.08) events.

He qualified for an at-large berth by placing 11th in the 5,000 at the Mideast Regional at Fayetteville, Ark. on May 31. His time of 14:30.82 left him just six-tenths of a second shy of a top-ten finish.

Baker opened the outdoor season with a time of 13:55.87 in the 5,000 at the Stanford Invitational. He then followed that performance by clocking a time of 13:49.87 in the event at the Oregon Invitational where he was the top collegiate finisher.

Nearman (Monroe, Wis.) finished eighth and broke the school 5,000 record with a personal-best time of 16:46.88 at the NCAA Regional Championships. Her eighth-place finish was the best among all Horizon League competitors at the regional championships.

At the League championships, Nearman posted a pair of top three finishes as she took second in the 5,000 (16:55.76) and third in the 1,500 (4:36.07).

During the outdoor season, Nearman also had a personal best 800 (2:19.66).

Since the award's establishment in 2003, Butler and Milwaukee have combined to win 11 of the last 12 men's and women's Outdoor Athlete of the Year awards.

The Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year are selected by a vote of the League's head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for members of their own teams.

Male Athlete of the Year
2003Matt Groh, Detroit
2004Nick Davis, Milwaukee
2005Scott Overall, Butler
2006Scott Overall, Butler
2007Nick Gretz, Milwaukee
2008Andy Baker, Butler


Female Athlete of the Year
2003Becky Lyne, Butler
2004Victoria Mitchell, Butler
2005Victoria Mitchell, Butler
2006Tenia Fisher, Milwaukee
2007Genni Gardner, Butler
2008Holly Nearman, Milwaukee