After representing Eastern Washington University on national stages while excelling in the classroom, the track and field duo of
Parker Bowden and
Morgan Fossen are EWU's recipients of the Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2020-21 school year, as announced by the league office on Thursday (July 15).
Bowden, who hails from Spokane, Wash., where he attended Central Valley High School prior to two years at Spokane Falls Community College, graduated with his Master's degree in Business Administration with a 3.94 grade point average. Fossen is a Medford, Ore., native and spent two years at Lane Community College after graduating from North Medford High School, earned her degree in Communicative Sciences & Disorders while boasting a 3.85 GPA.
The Big Sky Scholar-Athlete Award honors the "best of the best" of the conference's more than 3,500 student-athletes. One senior male and one senior female from each school in the league are recognized for their athletic and academic achievements.
To qualify for this award, the student-athlete must have exhausted his or her intercollegiate athletic eligibility and/or be a member of the graduating class, earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, been a participant in a Conference-sponsored sport, completed at least two years of intercollegiate competition at the institution, and have been a letter winner.
Bowden won EWU's first-ever Big Sky title in the high hurdles with a 13.58 time on May 15 in Ogden, Utah., to earn the meet's male Top Performer honor and advance to the NCAA West Preliminary Round. His effort broke the meet record of 13.68, and was just .16 from the Big Sky all-time mark of 13.42. Coming into the season, his personal-best was 14.25.
Although his bid for the NCAA Championships came up short, his time was fast enough to receive an invitation to the United States Olympic Team Trials.
Bowden also owns the 60-meter hurdle school-record with a time of 7.94. He also earned All-Big Sky honors indoors in the 60-meter hurdles in 2020 (3
rd, 7.94) and in 2018 (2
nd, 8.00).
Fossen represented Eastern Washington at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this season in the pole vault. In the event at historic Hayward Field, she cleared 13-9 ¼, a new personal best that is second all-time in the EWU record books. The mark helped her finish 10th overall and earn second team All-America honors, becoming just the third female in NCAA Division I at Eastern Washington to earn All-American honors.
Fossen cleared 12-9 at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships to place second overall. Her previous personal best of 13-8 ½ that she cleared earlier in the season at Whitworth, helped her advance to the NCAA West Preliminary Round. At the regional meet, she vaulted 13-8 ¼ to punch her ticket to the NCAA Championships in Eugene,
Ore.
In 2017, Bowden won the Northwest Athletic Conference Championship (NWAC) in the 100-meter hurdles and Fossen brought home the pole vault title that same year at the NWAC Championships as well.
Academically, both Bowden and Fossen have been named to the Big Sky All-Academic teams in both the winter and spring multiple times in their careers.
EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RECIPIENTS OF THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
| Year |
Female Athlete, Sport |
Male Athlete, Sport |
| 2020-21 |
Morgan Fossen, Track & Field |
Parker Bowden, Track & Field |
| 2019-20 |
Madison Doepker, Track & Field |
Mason Peatling, Basketball |
| 2018-19 |
Violet Kapri-Morrow, Basketball |
Roldan Alcobendas, Football |
| 2017-18 |
Chloe Williams, Soccer |
Bogdan Bliznyuk, Basketball |
| 2016-17 |
Sarah Reiter, Cross Country/Track & Field |
Cooper Kupp, Football |
| 2015-16 |
Hayley Hodgins, Basketball |
Venky Jois, Basketball |
| 2014-15 |
Melissa Williams, Basketball |
Jordan Arakawa, Track & Field |
| 2013-14 |
Ashley Wright, Volleyball |
Ashton Miller, Football |
| 2012-13 |
Cora Kellerman, Volleyball/Track & Field |
Jeff Minnerly, Football |
| 2011-12 |
Shene Davis, Track & Field |
Bowe Ebding, Track & Field/Cross Country |
| 2010-11 |
Julie Piper, Basketball |
Matt Martin, Football |
| 2009-10 |
Christy Borders, Track & Field |
Jacob Kragt, Football |
| 2008-09 |
Bonnie Berscheid, Track & Field |
Marcus Walker, Football |
| 2007-08 |
Camille Moseley, Track & Field/Cross Country |
Tom McAndrews, Football |
| 2006-07 |
Joanna Chadd, Basketball |
David Paul, Track & Field |
| 2005-06 |
Beth Russell, Soccer |
Joey Cwik, Football |
| 2004-05 |
Keva Sonderen, Volleyball |
Ty Weingard, Track & Field |
| 2003-04 |
Kathleen Nygaard, Basketball |
Kyler Randall, Football |
| 2002-03 |
Christie Kight, Track & Field |
Kurt Kraemer, Track & Field |
| 2001-02 |
Robyn Felder, Volleyball |
Mike Oien, Track & Field |
| 2000-01 |
Angie Hall, Volleyball |
Lance Ballew, Football |
| 1999-00 |
Kim Maxwell, Volleyball |
Ryan Hansen, Basketball |
| 1998-99 |
Kim Exner, Volleyball |
Mike MacKenzie, Football |
| 1997-98 |
Lora Botha, Volleyball |
Jeff Ogden, Football |
| 1996-97 |
Jaime Dotson, Volleyball |
Jason Baerlocher, Track & Field |
| 1995-96 |
Resa Watterson, Basketball |
Jesse Hardt, Football |
| 1994-95 |
Lori Napier, Basketball |
Noah Chambreau, Track & Field |
| 1993-94 |
Andrea Pochman, Volleyball |
Tony Brooks, Football |
| 1992-93 |
Angela Grant, Volleyball |
Trevor Westlund, Football |
| 1991-92 |
Kari McKay, Track & Field/Cross Country |
Kurt Schulz, Football |
| 1990-91 |
Nancy Kuiper, Track & Field |
John Garrison, Basketball |
| 1989-90 |
Suzanne Vick, Volleyball |
Jack Folger, Track & Field/Cross Country |
| 1988-89 |
Lorna Barr, Volleyball |
Jeff Mickel, Football |
| 1987-88 |
Sonya Gaubinger, Basketball |
Hogan Wrixon, Track & Field |
