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The Bowerman: 2026 Men's FinalistsPublished by
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA June 30, 2026
The Bowerman: 2026 Men’s FinalistsNEW ORLEANS – Men’s finalists for The Bowerman, collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor, were announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Samuel Ogazi of Alabama, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, and Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn were chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board as the most outstanding athletes in collegiate men’s track & field during the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons. Ogazi, Samuel and Tharp combined for seven NCAA titles, four collegiate records, and 13 all-time top-10 performances in the collegiate record books. THE BOWERMAN HISTORY: Past Winners of The Bowerman (2009-2025) The Bowerman Advisory Board is a panel of track & field experts from around the nation who select finalists based on performances recorded during the 2026 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances from December 1, 2025, through the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, were eligible for consideration. Ogazi, who hails from Kaduna, Nigeria, completed a sweep of the NCAA 400-meter titles with a victory at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. The Alabama standout also shattered 2018 The Bowerman winner Michael Norman’s collegiate record in the process, running 43.38. Back in March, Ogazi won the NCAA indoor title with a 44.57 that equaled the recognized world record and moved him into a tie for third on the all-time world list. Outdoors, Ogazi became the only collegian with multiple sub-44-second performances in the event, running 43.95 on May 16 to move to No. 7 on the all-time collegiate list, 43.82 on May 30 to climb to No. 4, and then 43.38 on June 12 for the collegiate record. He is the first male finalist in Alabama program history. Samuel, who hails from Keren, Eritrea, crossed the finish line first in all 13 of his races against collegians this year. The New Mexico standout punctuated his dream season by completing the distance double at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships, winning both the 5000 and 10,000 meters. During the season, he lowered his own collegiate record in the 5000 from 13:03.47 to 12:57.22, while also clocking the 12th-fastest time in the 10,000 of 27:30.51. Samuel rolled to 5000-meter gold at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships and finished first in the 3000 meters before being disqualified for impeding another athlete upon review. He is the first male finalist in New Mexico program history. Tharp, who hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was the star of the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships, eviscerating Aries Merritt’s world record in the 110-meter hurdles with a 12.75 (+1.0) in the prelims. The Auburn standout returned two days later to win the NCAA title in 12.90 (-0.2), the ninth-fastest time in world history. Indoors, he smashed 2019 The Bowerman winner Grant Holloway’s collegiate record in the 60-meter hurdles, running 7.32 in March, one day after clocking 7.36 in the prelims. Tharp is the sixth man to earn multiple finalist nods, joining Ashton Eaton, Lawi Lalang, Edward Cheserek, Grant Holloway, and Leo Neugebauer. Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 30, on The Bowerman’s website and runs through Thursday, July 2. Paper voting also begins on Tuesday, June 30 and closes in late July. Ogazi, Samuel, and Tharp will be feted on Thursday, December 17, during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. One of those three incredible athletes will take home collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor that same night following The Bowerman Presentation. WINNER SELECTION PROCESSThe Bowerman Voters will receive ballots listing each of the finalists and must rank them by first, second and third choice. First-place votes will receive three points, second place will notch two, and third will receive one point. The finalist with the highest point total will be declared the winner. The Bowerman Voters consist of:
THE BOWERMAN PAST FINALISTS & AWARD HISTORYMEN 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 WOMEN 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 ABOUT THE BOWERMANThe Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. Bill Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership as president of the USTFCCCA’s predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies. For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. ABOUT THE USTFCCCAThe U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents thousands of coaching members encompassing NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA and NJCAA, as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.
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