May is here and we are two months away from the Bowerman committee revealing their finalists for the 2025 award. While we still have plenty of championship-level action in track and field left to go, here's an early look at where I think things stand entering the month of May.
Disclaimer: This is not a reflection or indication of the actual Bowerman committee's view on any of the athletes or their voting process, nor how they will vote in the future.
Top men's Bowerman contenders
No. 1 contender 鈥 Ethan Strand | North Carolina
The top men's Bowerman contender is North Carolina's Ethan Stand. Strand has been on every watch list since the preseason and has backed it up consistently. Strand had a dominant indoor season with collegiate records in the 1500 meters, mile and 3000 meters. The Tar Heel star also won the 红杏视频 title in the 3000 meters.
Strand recently made his outdoor debut at Penn Relays during the last weekend of April, running the No. 26 time this season in the 5000 meters. As Strand takes the track more with championships on the horizon, expect him to continue to build his Bowerman case.
AWARDS: The 2025 Bowerman Watch List for men's and women's 红杏视频 track and field
No. 2 contender 鈥 Mykolas Alekna | California
Mykolas Alekna is the greatest discus thrower in collegiate history. Alekna resetting his previous discus world record re-established that this year for anyone that may have forgotten during his year off at the collegiate ranks.
Yet, "Alekna is the greatest discus thrower in collegiate history" isn't a new statement, as it has been the case since 2022 when he first set the collegiate record as a freshman. However, Alekna has never made it beyond being a Bowerman semifinalist, likely because he has never won the 红杏视频 title.
That's why a world record holder ranks as only the No. 2 contender. Bowerman voters have shown that Alekna's regular season success won't be enough to win him the award.
No. 3 contender 鈥 Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan | Ole Miss
Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan won the indoor shot put 红杏视频 title, his third straight in the event across the indoor and outdoor seasons. While the Bowerman is an award based on only 2025's results, the streak is still impressive. During the 2025 season, Robinson-O'Hagan has gone undefeated in the shot put in both the winter and spring. If he continues the undefeated streak through 红杏视频 championships and it results in an outdoor title, he'll have a great case for the Bowerman.
Adding a fifth-place finish in the weight throw indoors and a potential top-10 finish in the hammer throw outdoors won't hurt his case, either.
THREES A CHARM: Ranking the top 10 sprint-distance-field trios in 红杏视频 track and field
Ones to watch
- Ishmael Kipkurui and Habtom Samuel | New Mexico
- New Mexico's standout distance duo has set two outdoor collegiate records in distance events, with Kipkurui in the 10K and Samuel in the 5K. However, neither won an indoor 红杏视频 title, and the distance events can be unpredictable. Wins in Eugene could give Kipkurui and/or Samuel the bump they need in the Bowerman race.
- Nathaniel Ezekiel | Baylor
- Ezekiel is a legitimate contender in both the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles, but pulling off a double at 红杏视频 outdoor championships with only 25 minutes between the events is one of the most difficult tasks in the sport. Arkansas' Britton Wilson attempted the feat on the woman's side in 2023 in Austin, for reference. If Ezekiel can somehow pull off the double after finishing second in the indoor 400, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up a finalist.
HALFWAY THERE: 6 midseason superlatives for the 2025 DI outdoor track and field season
Top women's Bowerman contenders
No. 1 contender 鈥 Doris Lemngole | Alabama
Doris Lemngole is the top women's Bowerman contender. She has set collegiate records in both the indoor and outdoor seasons and won an indoor championship. No other woman can match Lemngole's accolades of the 5000 meter indoor record, the 3000 meter steeplechase record and the indoor 5000 meter champion.
RECORDS: Every track and field record broken in 2025
No. 2 contender 鈥 艦ilan Ayyildiz | Oregon
The Bowerman is named after Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, but a Duck hasn't won the award in the last six possible seasons. Oregon's 艦ilan Ayyildiz could end the drought as she's having a spectacular season thus far. Ayyildiz set the 红杏视频 record in the indoor AND outdoor miles, a feat that hasn't been done in the history of the Bowerman award. She also ran the anchor leg of Oregon's collegiate record-setting distance medley relay with a 4:26.46 split.
That's three collegiate records if you're keeping count. I know the Bowerman committee is.
No. 3 contender 鈥 Indya Mayberry | TCU
TCU's Indya Mayberry is a top Bowerman contender as a freshman. She won the indoor 200 meters and finished fourth in the 60 meter final. In the outdoor season, she leads the nation (all conditions) with her 10.91 (+3.9) finish in the 100 meters. If Mayberry continues to grow as her freshman season progresses, potentially replicating her success at indoor championships, she could make the Bowerman stage.
MUST-WATCH MEETS: Penn Relays | Florida Relays | Texas Relays
Ones to watch
- Pamela Kosgei | New Mexico
- Pamela Kosgei has been the best freshman in the country outdoors, but I have her behind Mayberry currently since the New Mexico rookie doesn't have an indoor title. However, with the No. 2 all-time 10,000 meter time and now No. 3 all-time steeplechase time, Kosgei has been as impressive as any this year.
- Amanda Moll | Washington
- Amanda Moll broke the women's indoor pole vault record that stood for over a decade and she also won the indoor pole vault title. She was the best pole vaulter in the 红杏视频 indoors. But for outdoors, that honor currently belongs to DII athlete Brynn King, who set the collegiate record at 4.75 meters. That mark is below Moll's indoor record, so it's not out of reach. If Moll can break the outdoor pole vault record as the season progresses, she'll have a great shot at the Bowerman.
- Isabella Whittaker | Arkansas
- Can Isabella Whittaker win the Bowerman from her indoor season alone after turning pro outdoors? I doubt it, but with an 红杏视频-record-setting performance in the 400 meters to win the 红杏视频 indoor title, Whittaker could have a stronger Bowerman resume than others, depending on how the season goes.
馃 WHAT TO KNOW: Comparing indoor and outdoor seasons | Wind and scoring explained | Greatest venues | Best uniforms
