Click Here for Link to the 10,000-meter field
Click Here for Link to Janet Cherobon-Bawcom's Bio
SEARCY – Harding alum Janet Cherobon-Bawcom will be one of 22 competitors in the women's 10,000 meters on Friday, Aug. 3 at 9:25 p.m. local time and 3:25 p.m. Central. Her race is scheduled to air live on NBC.
Now a resident of Rome, Ga., Cherobon-Bawcom won three NCAA Division II individual national championships at Harding in 2005 and was a six-time track All-American (eight, including cross country) during her Lady Bison career. She was inducted into the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Harding Athletics Hall of Fame in January 2012.
The following is Cherobon-Bawcom's bio from the USA Track and Field website:
Bawcom has become one of the best American women on the road running scene, and has parlayed her talent on the roads into a spot on the U.S. 10,000m squad for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Bawcom finished 7th at the Olympic Trials, but as one of only three women with the Olympic A standard, her spot on the team was a near guarantee. Earlier in 2012, Bawcom finished fifth at the marathon Trials.
Bawcom was born in Kenya and became eligible to represent the U.S. in the fall of 2011. Bawcom first took an interest in running after a chance encounter with Kenyan gold medalist Peter Rono who helped train her and get a scholarship to Harding University in Arkansas. In her first 5 km race at Harding, Bawcom barely broke 20 minutes, but when she graduated in 2005, she had eight NCAA All-American titles and three Division II national championships to her name.
Bawcom graduated with a degree in health care management, and is pursuing her R.N. license. Bawcom competed for Harding University as Janet Cherobon will be the first Harding athlete to ever compete in the Olympics.
