The Bowerman: 2023 Women’s Pre-Outdoor Conference Championships Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – Has The Bowerman Women’s Watch List settled on a top-10?

With conference and national championships on the horizon, there were no changes for the first time this year to the Watch List as the Pre-Outdoor Conference Championship edition was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Repeating from the last Watch List are Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas, Julien Alfred of Texas, Talitha Diggs of Florida, Lamara Distin of Texas A&M, Jasmine Moore of Florida, Ackera Nugent of Arkansas, Masai Russell of Kentucky, Katelyn Tuohy of NC State, Jorinde van Klinken of Oregon and Britton Wilson of Arkansas. Six of those – Alfred, Diggs, Distin, Moore, van Klinken and Wilson – have appeared on all six Watch Lists this year.

The Bowerman – collegiate track & field’s highest honor – will be awarded in December at the USTFCCCA Convention in Denver, Colorado. Only marks from the 2023 indoor or outdoor collegiate track & field seasons are to be considered for the award.

Adeleke, who hails from Dublin, Ireland, dropped down to shorter sprints at the Texas Invitational, clocking 11.32 and 22.47 in the 100 and 200, respectively. The 100 was a seasonal debut, just off her PR 11.31 and the 200 was near her PR 22.38 from two weeks ago. Of course, it was two weeks ago at the Tom Jones Memorial when she became No. 6 all-time collegiately in the 400 at 49.60. She joined fellow Watch List member Alfred on four winning foursomes at the Texas Relays, with three setting CRs – 42.00 4×100, 1:28.78 4×200 and 3:36.10 sprint medley. Indoors she set a short-lived CR in the 400 of 50.33 and finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships. This is Adeleke’s third career Watch List appearance.

Alfred, who hails from Castries, St. Lucia, only raced once since the last Watch List and it was another fast one – 10.95 to win the 100 at the Texas Invitational in the fastest wind-legal time this year by a collegian. Alfred also has the fastest collegiate all-conditions 100 of all-time at 10.72w from two weeks earlier at the Tom Jones Memorial, when she added the year’s best 200 at 21.91 – second-fastest all-time collegiately behind only 2022 The Bowerman winner Abby Steiner. She joined fellow Watch List member Adeleke on four winning foursomes at the Texas Relays, with three setting CRs – 42.00 4×100, 1:28.78 4×200 and 3:36.10 sprint medley. She was undefeated indoors, sweeping the NCAA Indoor Championships with CRs in the 60 (6.94) and 200 (22.01). This is Alfred’s ninth career Watch List appearance.

Diggs, who hails from Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania, added the 400 back to her repertoire with her first one-lapper of the outdoor season in 51.51 as the second collegian at the LSU Invitational. The rest of her spring has seen her register wind-aided times of 10.92 and 10.96 in the 100 and a wind-legal 22.67 in the 200. The reigning NCAA champ in the 400 finished third in that event at the NCAA Indoor Championships after setting a one-time CR of 50.15 in the 400, plus PRs of 7.14 in the 60, 22.61 in the 200 and 36.12 in the 300 earlier in the winter. This is Diggs’ sixth career Watch List appearance.

Distin, who hails from Hanover, Jamaica, improved her outdoor seasonal collegiate high jump lead with a 1.95m (6-4¾) victory at the LSU Invitational before three unsuccessful attempts at a would-be collegiate record 2.00m (6-6¾). The reigning NCAA champ outdoors, she was undefeated indoors, winning a second-straight NCAA Indoor title after clearing a seasonal best earlier in the winter of 1.97m (6-5½) that rates her =No. 3 collegian all-time. This is Distin’s sixth career Watch List appearance.

Moore, who hails from Grand Prairie, Texas, was the second collegian in the LSU Invitational triple jump with a wind-aided 13.77m (45-2¼). Two weeks earlier she had a wind-aided leap of 6.98m (22-11) in the long jump at the Tom Jones Memorial and was the top collegian in the triple jump at 13.91m (45-7¾). The long jump mark makes her No. 4 all-time collegian under all conditions outdoors. Last year’s long jump/triple jump NCAA champion outdoors was undefeated this winter indoors and completed a second-straight sweep of the NCAA Indoor Championships, setting CRs of 7.03m (23-0¾) in the long jump and 15.12m (49-7¼) in the triple jump – the latter also breaking the American record. This is Moore’s 14^th career Watch List appearance – second-most of active women.

Nugent, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, won the LSU Invitational 100 hurdles in 12.52, making her second fastest collegian of the year. She lowered her 200 PR to 23.10 and also ran 11.12 in the 100 at the Tom Jones Memorial. Indoors she won the NCAA Indoor 60 hurdles in a CR 7.72. This is Nugent’s third career Watch List appearance.

Russell, who hails from Potomac, Maryland, won the Michael Johnson Invitational 100 hurdles in 12.50, second only this year to her CR 12.36 at the Texas Relays (the previous record was 12.39 by 2013 The Bowerman winner Brianna Rollins). She has also run 55.39 in the 400 hurdles (third on the seasonal list) and carried the baton on Kentucky’s 42.81 4×100 team (second on the seasonal list). Indoors she was runner-up in the NCAA Indoor 60 hurdles, matching her PR of 7.75 that was a CR when she first ran as fast in January. This is Russell’s fifth career Watch List appearance.

Tuohy, who hails from Stony Point, New York, opened up her outdoor season with a collegiate-leading 4:08.29 at the Wake Forest Invitational. She followed up some 30 minutes later in the 5000, running 15:50.90. Tuohy won a 3000/5000 double at the NCAA Indoor Championships, including the fastest collegiate 3000 time (9:10.07) ever achieved at over 1000 meters (3280 feet) of altitude. She set CRs at three distances earlier in the winter – 1500 meters (4:06.49), mile (4:24.26) and 3000 (8:35.20) – and recorded the distance medley relay’s fastest 1600 collegiate split of 4:23.36. This is Tuohy’s sixth career Watch List appearance.

Van Klinken, who hails from Assen, The Netherlands, won the Desert Heat Classic discus with a throw of 59.76m (196-1) for her third-straight competition as the top collegian. She also had her outdoor seasonal debut in the shot put at 18.02m (59-1½), finishing second in the same meet. Van Klinken owns the year’s six best discus marks by a collegian – all at 63.95m (209-10) or longer. Three of those rate among the all-time collegiate top-10, topped by a 67.05m (220-0) that is the No. 3 all-time performance (she owns the CR of 70.22m/230-5 from two years ago and is a two-time NCAA champion). Indoors she was sixth in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships at 17.77m (58-3¾) after earlier setting a CR of 19.57m (64-2½). Van Klinken is the active women’s Watch List leader with 15 career appearances.

Wilson, who hails from Henrico, Virginia, continued her undefeated outdoor campaign in winning the 400 hurdles at the LSU Invitational in 55.76. That followed an incredible double two weeks earlier at the Tom Jones Memorial, where she became the No. 3 all-time collegian in the 400 hurdles at 53.23 before setting a CR 49.51 in the 400 a day later. The previous 400 record of 49.57 was set by 2021 The Bowerman winner Athing Mu. Indoors Wilson won the 400 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in a CR (and American record) 49.48 and anchored the Arkansas 4×400 squad with a 49.20 split as the Razorbacks set an all-time world best of 3:21.57. She broke another of Mu’s records indoors, the 600 in 1:25.16. This is Wilson’s eighth career Watch List appearance.

One athlete received votes from The Bowerman Watch List Committee but fell outside the Top 10: Michaela Rose of LSU.

The next women’s Watch List is scheduled for May 17.