The Bowerman

What is The Bowerman?

The Bowerman is the highest individual honour in American college track and field, awarded annually since 2009 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association to the most outstanding male and female collegiate athletes. It is named for Bill Bowerman, the University of Oregon coach who trained a generation of American distance runners and co-founded Nike.^[1] [2]

How is the winner decided?

Through a published season-long process. A watch list is issued in the spring and revised through the outdoor season; after the NCAA Championships it is cut to three finalists per sex; and the winner is then decided by a combination of the USTFCCCA membership vote, an advisory board of coaches, journalists and former athletes, and a public fan vote. The result is announced at the association's convention in December.^[1] [3]

Recent winners

Jordan Anthony of Arkansas and Doris Lemngole of Alabama won in 2025 — Anthony the third Arkansas man to take the award, Lemngole the first Alabama athlete ever to win it, after NCAA titles and NCAA records in the indoor 5000 m and the outdoor 3000 m steeplechase.^[2] [4]

For 2026 the finalists are Samuel Ogazi (Alabama), Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) and Ja'Kobe Tharp (Auburn) on the men's side, and Adaejah Hodge (Georgia), Axelina Johansson (Nebraska) and Dejanea Oakley (Georgia) on the women's, with the winners to be announced on 17 December 2026.^[3] [5]

Why does it matter?

Because NCAA track and field is one of the deepest competitive fields in the world — Division I alone runs tens of thousands of athletes, a large share of them internationals who compete for their national teams in the summer. One man and one woman are chosen from all of it each year, by the coaches association that also selects All-Americans in the sport.^[1] [3]