As the 2023 track and field season gets into full swing, it's time for an early look at potential winners of the Bowerman, an annual award presented to the most outstanding athletes in collegiate track and field. A preseason watch list for the 2023 Bowerman was released Jan.10-11, previewing some of the best in DI track and field.
2022 BOWERMAN: Trey Cunningham wins men's Bowerman | Abby Steiner wins women's Bowerman
Seven returning women's semifinalists from 2022 were automatically on the preseason watch list, with Cal's Camryn Rogers making the list as the lone returning finalist. Florida's Talitha Diggs and Texas A&M's Lamara Distin made their debut appearances on the watch list.
Four returning men's semifinalists from 2022 were automatically on the preseason watch list, with Arkansas' Ayden Owens-Delerme making the list as the lone returning finalist. Stanford's Charles Hicks, Arkansas' Wayne Pinnock and Northern Arizona's Nico Young made their debut appearances.
CONTENDERS: The top challengers for all 15 returning indoor NCAA track and field champions in 2022-23
The rest of the watch list was selected by the watch list committee, a subcommittee of the full Bowerman Advisory Board.
Throughout the season, only 10 men and 10 women will make each official watch list update. Athletes who received votes will also be listed. Three men and three women will be named finalists in late June, with the 2023 men's and women's Bowerman winners announced in December at the annual USTFCCCA convention in Denver, Colorado.
Checkout the complete watch lists below.
| Gender | Athlete | School | Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Julien Alfred | Texas | Sprints |
| Adelaide Aquilla | Ohio State | Throws | |
| Alia Armstrong | LSU | Sprints/Hurdles | |
| Talitha Diggs | Florida | Sprints | |
| Lamara Distin | Texas A&M | Jumps | |
| Jasmine Moore | Florida | Jumps | |
| Favour Ofili | LSU | Sprints | |
| Camryn Rogers | Cal | Throws | |
| Jorinde Van Klinken | Oregon | Throws | |
| Britton Wilson | Arkansas | Sprints | |
| Men | Mykolas Alekna | Cal | Throws |
| Matthew Boling | Georgia | Sprints/Jumps | |
| Sean "Squirrel" Burrell | LSU | Hurdles | |
| Kyle Garland | Georgia | Combined Events | |
| Sondre Guttormsen | Princeton | Pole Vault | |
| Charles Hicks | Stanford | Distance | |
| Ayden Owens-Delerme | Arkansas | Combined Events | |
| Wayne Pinnock | Arkansas | Jumps | |
| Turner Washington | Arizona State | Throws | |
| Nico Young | Northern Arizona | Distance |
TRANSFERS: 30 impact transfers to watch in the 2022-23 track and field season
The following athletes received votes:
- Women | Grace Stark | Florida | Sprints/Hurdles
- Women | Katelyn Tuohy | NC State | Mid-Distance/Distance
- Men| Jordan Geist | Arizona | Throws
- Men| Eliud Kipsang | Alabama | Mid-Distance
- Men| Carey McLeod | Arkansas | Jumps
- Men| Zach McWhorter | Duke | Pole Vault
- Men| Marc Minichello | Georgia | Javelin
- Men| Jacory Patterson | Florida | Sprints
- Men| Claudio Romero | LSU | Throws
- Men| Micah Williams | Oregon | Sprints
COACHES: Why 6 coaching changes will shake up the 2023 track and field season
Preseason watchlist breakdown
By event
| Event | # on Men's Watch List | # on Women's Watch List | Total on Watch list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprints | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Sprints/Hurdles | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurdles | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sprints/Jumps | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Throws | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Jumps | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Distance | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Pole Vault | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Combined Events | 2 | 0 | 2 |
MUST WATCH: The top indoor track and field meets to watch in 2022-23
By school
| Total on Watch list | School |
|---|---|
| 3 | Arkansas, LSU |
| 2 | Cal, Florida, Georgia |
| 1 | Arizona State, Northern Arizona, Ohio State, Oregon, Princeton, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M |
By conference
| Total on Watch list | School |
|---|---|
| 11 | SEC |
| 5 | Pac-12 |
| 1 | Big 12, Big Ten, Big Sky, Ivy |
RIVALRY: 8 looming track and field rivalries to watch in 2023
Future watch list dates for the Bowerman
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| First in-season watch list of indoor | Feb. 1 |
| Post-Indoor Conference | March 1 |
| Post-NCAA Indoor | March 22 |
| First watch list of outdoor | April 12 |
| Second watch list of outdoor | May 3 |
| Post-Outdoor | May 17 |
| Post-NCAA Prelims | June 5 |
| Post-NCAA Outdoor | June 19 |
| Finalists | June 26 |
| Winner | December TBD |
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| First in-season watch list of indoor | Feb. 2 |
| Post-Indoor Conference | March 2 |
| Post-NCAA Indoor | March 23 |
| First watch list of outdoor | April 13 |
| Second watch list of outdoor | May 4 |
| Post-Outdoor | May 18 |
| Post-NCAA Prelims | June 6 |
| Post-NCAA Outdoor | June 20 |
| Finalists | June 27 |
| Winner | December TBD |
Typically, the Bowerman watch list will release on the dates below at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesdays for women and 4 p.m. ET on Thursday for men. The dates in June are tentative as of Jan. 13. The winner will be announced at the 2023 USTFCCCA convention in Denver during December.
🏆: Florida sweeps 2022 outdoor championships | How the NCAA championships work | 2022 indoor championship recap
💥HISTORY: Programs with the most titles | Men's champ history | Women's champ history | Bowerman history
🧠 WHAT TO KNOW: Wind and scoring explained | Greatest venues | Best uniforms | The difference between indoor and outdoor seasons
🥇 Tokyo Olympians: Karel Tiga | JuVaughn Harrison | Cole Hocker | Camryn Rogers | Ruth Usoro | Athing Mu | Tara Davis | Tyra Gittens
