Track and Field: Kerr receives Athlete of the Year Award

Awards seem to be a frequent sight for the University of New Mexico’s student athletes.

This time Josh Kerr, distance runner and incoming sophomore, managed to pick up one of the highest honors given to a student-athlete — he was named Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year.

Last season, Kerr also picked up two individual NCAA titles during the 2017 track season for the mile run and the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships.

“It’s a great honor for Josh and the University of New Mexico to be honored with the highest athletic award that the Mountain West can give. To be a two-time NCAA champion at such a young age is a testament to his dedication and talent,” Track and Field head coach Joe Franklin said in a press release.

Kerr picked up his first championship in March when he competed in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Gilliam Indoor Track, where he outran 17-time national champion Edward Cheserek of Oregon, where Kerr posted a time of four minutes, 3.22 seconds.

His second individual championship came in June when he won the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. When Kerr won this title, he posted a time of three minutes and 43.03 seconds — not only the fastest time in UNM's and the MW’s event, but the sixth fastest in NCAA history. 

Apart from these high honors, Kerr was also selected as MW Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year and was nominated for the Men’s Bowerman Award, one of the most coveted individual awards in track and field.

According to a release, Kerr is the first and only MW athlete to earn all three honors in one season.

Kerr is now the fourth Lobo of all time to win the MW Athlete of the Year Award, male or female, as he joins the likes of: Courtney Frerichs (2016-17), DJ Peterson (2012-13) and Jodi Ewart (2009-10).

Matthew Narvaiz is a senior sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.