Izzo accolades include Bowerman watch list
NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas junior Katie Izzo is among 10 student-athletes appearing on the latest women’s watch list for the Bowerman in 2020, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday.
The Bowerman is in its 12th season of recognizing the top collegiate male and female student-athletes of the track and field season. Last season the Razorbacks had a finalist for the Bowerman in Janeek Brown.
“It’s such an honor, seeing my name amongst the best of the best in sprinting and distance, I was over the moon seeing that,” said Izzo, who was named to the pre-season Bowerman watch list in early January.
“I’m so blessed being at Arkansas and to be recognized for all this. Really, though, it’s been the coaches, my teammates, and the great energy from the cross country season has flown right into the indoor season.”
It’s been a whirlwind of individual honors and team titles for Izzo since arriving on campus after her transfer from Cal Poly.
Awareness of her immense talents started to spread during a strong cross country season in which Izzo won the SEC championship, placed second among a Razorback sweep of the top five places in the South Central Regional, and then finished third in the NCAA Championships as Arkansas claimed the national championship.
Then in December, racing at 5,000m in Boston, Izzo produced a performance that grabbed everyone’s attention and earned her the National Athlete of the Week honor from USTFCCCA.
A 15:13.09 clocking made her the second fastest collegian ever indoors and eighth fastest when including outdoor times. Izzo challenged the collegiate indoor record of 15:12.22 set in 2015 by Emily Sisson of Providence. For the 2020 indoor season Izzo’s time currently ranks fourth in the world.
On the Razorback all-time list she shattered the previous school record of 15:46.89 set in 2000 by Amy Yoder Begley.
“In Boston that was such a special race, each of us racing broke our respective school records and shattered our personal best times,” stated Izzo.
“Just coming off the cross country season and going right into such an exciting indoor race it gave me a lot of confidence heading into the indoor season. The pressure was off after we won the national title in cross country, so it was just an amazing opportunity. I felt blessed that I was able to be part of it.”
Racing inside the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center this past weekend at the Razorback Invitational, Izzo anchored the Razorback distance medley relay on Friday with a 4:36.65 split on her 1,600m leg as Arkansas produced the fourth best time of the season with a 10:57.08. On Saturday she improved her career best in the mile to 4:37.47, which is currently ninth best this season among collegians.
“I was super proud of my teammates, and we are ranked number four in the DMR,” said Izzo. “We all set PRs on our legs of the relay. Coming back for the mile on the next day I was able to see my strength even though I ran hard the day before among some of the best competition in the nation.
“Now I’m looking forward to getting a 3k in and I’ll probably do that at the Husky meet in Washington,” noted Izzo. “Plus, I’m excited for the SECs coming up at the end of the month. Hopefully getting that SEC team title, but we know it’s going to be tough because there are so many amazing schools.”
