With the 2024 outdoor track and field season underway, it's time for a look at the brightest contenders for the Bowerman award, an annual honor presented to track and field’s finest at the collegiate level. As the 2024 Penn Relays arrive, here are some of the top collegiate athletes to keep an eye on.
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Mykolas Alekna (UC Berkeley), Discus
A Lithuanian national, Alekna is best known for winning silver at the 2022 World Championships at 19, making him the youngest discus medallist in world history. Although he did not compete during this year’s 2024 indoor season, Alekna proved to be a force to be reckoned with in last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships with a throw of 63.25 meters, where he placed third.
Kenneth Ekeji (Harvard), Throws
Ekeji is a dominant presence in the Ivy League, participating in both the hammer throw and weight throw events. Last outdoor season, he took first in the hammer throw with a distance of 77.92 meters (255 feet and 8 inches). During the 2024 NCAA indoor season, Ekeji exhibited his prowess by clinching first place in the weight throw with a distance of 24.39m (80 feet and 0.25 inches).
Leo Neugebauer (Texas), Combined Events
A 2023 Bowerman finalist, Neugebauer returns to Texas for his fifth year of eligibility. At this year’s 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, Neugebauer set a personal record in the heptathlon with a score of 6,347 points, a university and German national record.
Terrence Jones (Texas Tech), Sprints
Jones, a senior, is fresh off of winning a 2023 NCAA Indoor Championship title in the men’s 60m. Jones continues his reign as champion in the 60m event in the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where he ran a time of 6.54 seconds. Jones also claimed the men’s 200m win with a time of 20.23 seconds, establishing a new facility record and earning Texas Tech its first indoor NCAA track and field title.
Ky Robinson (Stanford), Distance
Robinson, who hails from Brisbane, Australia, is a dual-threat distance athlete. During the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Robinson won both the men’s 5,000m and men’s 10,000m events, with times of 14:04.77 and 28:10.96, respectively. Robinson participated in both the men’s 3,000m and 5,000m events in this year’s 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where he placed fifth, at 7:46.13, and third, at 13:27.79, respectively. He hopes to defend his crowns during this upcoming outdoor season.
WOMEN
Lamara Distin (Texas A&M), Jumps
Distin, a distinguished athlete from Jamaica, first rose to prominence with her performance in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where she won the gold medal in the women’s high jump. In 2023, she placed second at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a height of 1.87m. Distin placed second again at this year’s indoor championships with a distance of 1.97m (6’, 5.5”), another victory she can add to her impressive career with the Aggies.
JaMeesia Ford (South Carolina), Sprints
Even as a true freshman, Ford has swiftly launched her collegiate journey with remarkable success, boasting an impressive record of 19 first-place finishes out of 21 races. Among her triumphs is her victory at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where she won the women’s 200m with a blazing time of 22.34 seconds. With unwavering determination, Ford aims to sustain this momentum as she charges ahead into the outdoor season.
Michaela Rose (LSU), Mid-Distance
Rose is a versatile runner and has competed in eight different events throughout her track and field career. She has found the most success in the women’s 800m, where she finished with a time of 1:59.81, falling short to first place winner Juliette Whittaker of Stanford by .28 seconds. Despite this narrow margin, Ford's determination remains steadfast as she continues to strive for excellence in every stride she takes on the track.
Parker Valby (Florida), Distance
Valby, a versatile athlete across both track and cross country, entered the 2023 cross country season with a bang and finished first in the individual 6k during the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Valby's performance during the 2024 indoor season was nothing short of remarkable, as she secured national titles in both the women’s 3000m and 5000m events. As she sets her sights on the upcoming outdoor season, Valby is determined to defend her hard-earned 2023 Outdoor Championship title in the women’s 5000.
Juliette Whittaker (Stanford), Mid-Distance
Whittaker, sister of Penn senior and track and field record-holder Bella Whittaker, has made waves this season in the women’s 800m race. Her meteoric rise was solidified by a commanding victory at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where she finished first with a time of 1:59.53. Whittaker seems to have shaken off the nervousness of her freshman indoor and outdoor seasons and is coming into her own, hungry to prove her worth during the 2024 outdoor season.
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